Pokeplot
by TeamBlarg
Summary: “To think that all of our futures rest on the shoulder’s of a bunch of kids…”
1. Lexa

WARNING: not suitable for children under the age of 6, contains small objects that may cause choking, fantasy violence, and strong language.

* * *

Chapter 1 : Lexa

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

Incessant, loud ringing splintered her terror filled flight through the maze. Sleep dazed and brain foggy, Lexa groaned and burrowed deeper under her blankets, wishing for the noise to stop. She snuck a peak, noticed the lack of light, and wondered why the noise would not stop.

Dream fog lifted in a flash when Lexa realized the day. Kicking her sheets aside and tumbling out of bed, Lexa scrambled to pull a shirt over her head. Feet tangled in pants, Lexa floundered around for socks. Too excited to be frustrated, Lexa eventually got her feet coordinated properly and tied her pants after tugging socks over her bare feet.

Only then did Lexa realize that the alarm was still going off. Hastily scampering to shut off the raucous noise, Lexa took a moment to enjoy the blissful silence before checking to make sure she had everything packed. Satisfied, Lexa pulled her light hair into two ponytails and squashed her beanie hat over her head as she flung her pack over her shoulder and bounded down the stairs. Hugging her mother goodbye and promising to call, she ran out the door. Dawn light painted a soft world as Lexa left her house far behind to take the quick walk through the edge of the forest.

Pidgeys twittered sleepily from roosts in the trees while a noctowl flew silently overhead. Professor Hawthorn's lab should be just around the bend, Lexa had walked this route often enough to do this with her eyes closed. There was a bounce in her step as Lexa approached the massive building, excitement almost too high to be contained. A ratatta fled when she drew near, its frightened squeak hovering long after the small mouse had vanished into the bushes.

Lexa tried the front doors. They were unlocked, so she pushed them slowly open. "Professor?" she called, stepping into the lab.

"Alexia?" Professor Hawthorn poked her head out from behind a cabinet. "You're here early, it's barely dawn."

"I know," Lexa admitted, "but I'm too excited. May I pick now?"

Hawthorn smiled at the young girl's eagerness and youthful cheer. "Follow me, I'll show you what we all have here in the back. Bear in mind that once you chose, the choice cannot be undone."

Pressing a button, the professor stepped back when the machine let off a loud hiss and opened to reveal a multitude of pokeballs laid out in groups of three. Lexa moved forward to look at the red and white orbs. She touched one and an image appeared on the screen above.

"Cyndaquil," Hawthorn said, watching the screen.

Lexa shook her head and proceeded to tap each one, bringing a picture to the screen. The professor read each one off to her. Lexa paused on the charmander, but continued to view all of her options. In the end, she spun the revolving tray back to the charmander and picked up the pokeball.

"I will pick this one," she told the professor.

"Charmander, the fire pokemon? Are you sure?"

"Positive," Lexa affirmed.

"Then wait here, there are a few things that I need to get for you." Professor Hawthorn vanished between several large pieces of equipment only to appear moments later with a pile of items. She handed five pokeballs to Lexa and set everything else on the table.

"There are five pokeballs to help get you started, and you may have noticed that the pokeball holding your charmander is empty." Lexa pressed the center button, opening the empty ball to prove to herself that what Hawthorn said was true.

"You have heard of pokemon eggs, correct?" Lexa nodded, so the professor continued. "Most of the starter pokemon in this room came from eggs that either I, or my colleagues have hatched. However, a few have not yet hatched. Your charmander is one of them."

Hawthorn held out a pale egg the size of Lexa's head. The girl took it and examined it, watching the light catch the occasional glittering spot before sliding it into her backpack. As she did so, Lexa could have sworn the egg quivered at her touch.

"Take good care of it, it should hatch soon. Now, I have a pass for you that will allow you to get out of this one and into the next town over. While you're in Newmeadow, I need you to do a favor for me," Hawthorn said, picking the last item off the table and handing it to Lexa. "Give that to Mara, the gymleader in Newmeadow. Now, off with you." The professor shooed her out the door.

"Good luck, Alexia. Give me a call when you get to Newmeadow!"

Lexa waved back and spun to follow the trail back to Breezy Blossom. Weak rays of sunlight filtered through the trees limbs brought on by full dawn. One hand grasping a strap of her backpack, she walked light-footed through the woods. Her pack felt warm against her shoulders where the egg sat. Briefly skirting the northern part of town, Lexa skipped straight to the road to Newmeadow. A ratatta chattered angrily at her before scampering away into the forest. Tree boughs overlay the road, darkening the walk.

Breezy Blossom disappeared from sight as Lexa followed the bend in the road and she immediately thought of Maki. She never went anywhere without her. Maki would oversleep, Maki always overslept. Deciding to wait for Maki in Newmeadow, Lexa continued on. Signs pointed her in the right direction, lucky for her, as she had forgotten a map.

It was early enough in the morning that she saw no one on her jaunt through the misty dawn, which were was probably a good thing considering she did not have a battle compatible pokemon. Feeling adventurous, Lexa wandered a bit into the woods, enjoying the quiet freedom allotted to her. The egg shivered against her back before shaking violently. Lexa shrugged her pack off and laid it gently on the ground before gently pulling out the quivering egg with both hands. Frowning, Lexa looked up, but saw nothing. She could have sworn that something flitted by in her peripheral vision. Seeing only forest, Lexa held the egg cradled in her crossed legs until the pokemon settled down.

A pidgey called somewhere in the forest, its cry was answered nearby, and a rustling of wings announced the bird pokemon landing close. Lexa turned to see the bird hopping across the ground, blissfully unaware of her sitting in the small clearing. She shifted her weight and the pidgey let out a startled squawk before fleeing with a rush of feathers.

Lexa pulled out one of the pokeballs that Professor Hawthorn had given her and sighed. The egg rocked in her lap and Lexa hugged it close. "Soon," she whispered to it and it gave a violent shudder before calming again.

"What should I call you?" she thought aloud. A name came to mind. "Kasdeya?" The egg convulsed more than before to the point where a small fissure appeared in the side, hairline, but a crack nonetheless. "Kasdey it is then," Lexa said, feeling a rise of warmth. She gently placed the egg back in her pack and stood up, shouldering the bag and pokeball still in hand.

On her trek back to the road, a quick flash of light caught her eye. At first Lexa thought it was just the sun, but upon closer inspection she saw the outline of a pidgey. Sunlight reflected off the sleeping bird's golden feathers, and an idea popped into her head. Lexa gave the pokeball a little toss to test its weight and heaved it at the bird pokemon. The ball hit it in the shoulder, opened, and engulfed the pidgey in red light before closing and falling to the ground. The ball shook back and forth several times before finally sitting still.

Lexa let out the breath she did not realize she had been holding with a rush. Glee filled her chest and she picked the pokeball up. She caught her first pokemon! Laughter filled the air around her and Lexa spun around to find what was causing it. A pink feline floated feet about the ground giggling cheerfully and holding its mouth with its tiny hands. Lexa could only stare.

"Mew," the pokemon said cheerfully and sat on her head, long tail curling freely.

"Mew?" Lexa asked, reaching up to scratch the pokemon's head and earned a happy squeal from the feline. She had learned about this in school, Mew the first pokemon. But what was it doing here?

"Mew!" it chirped. Lexa laughed and continued back to the road with the happy pokemon still on her head.

Someone called her name and she whirled around. Mew squealed and vanished into a pokeball on her belt. Kobe came running up to her, lopsided grin plastered on his face.

"Hey, I should have known that you were the first one up! Mind if I accompany you the rest of the way?" he asked. "By the way, which pokemon did you pick? I got a piplup, his name's Bori." Kobe held up the pokeball and let out the penguin pokemon so that Bori may walk beside them.

"I picked the charmander," Lexa told him as they strolled the rest of the way through the woods. According the sign they recently passed, Newmeadow should be around the corner.

"You didn't name it?" Kobe asked, picking Bori up to put the pokemon on his shoulder.

"It's still an egg," Lexa explained. The egg shivered against her back in response.

"But you have two other pokemon already?" he remarked. "Wow, I just have Bori." The piplup hopped down and darted ahead. "What have you caught?"

"A pidgey." Lexa paused only to have a pokeball open from her belt. _Transform!_ She wished desperately, hoping that the pokemon would understand. A slightly off colored meowth sat happily at her feet. "And a meowth."

"Mew," the cat meowed and kneaded her pants. Lexa picked the meowth up and let the pokemon wander across her shoulders, purring.

"How'd you manage the meowth? I didn't think there were any in Pendera Woods."

Lexa pet the meowth, feeling waves of contentment wash over her. "Um, she was lost, probably abandoned," Lexa made up on the spot, not sure if she wanted other people to know that she had a mew tagging along with her.

Kobe pulled out his phone only to snap it shut and look at her. "It's not yet ten," he said. "It seems so much later. We need to stop by the shop, but then we'll be on our way. You're welcome to come along?"

"Nah, thanks though, Kobe. I need to wait for Maki, she's probably overslept," Lexa apologized and felt a twinge of guilt.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you down the road!" Kobe said cheerfully. "You have my number, right?" Lexa nodded. "Then no worries. Oh, Skye showed up right after I left, so he'll probably be here soon. I'll see you later, come on, Bori."

Lexa waved goodbye to Kobe and took a look around town. Not extremely large, yet more impressive than her hometown, Lexa wandered past neat houses towards the gym. Mew purred loudly on her shoulders still under the guise of meowth. Standing before the double doors, Lexa looked up at the building.

"Mew," the feline remarked.

"Hey, Lexa!" a voice called out. Both trainer and pokemon turned to see a boy strolling towards them. "I heard you go first pick, or at least that was the suspicion, but then why did you pick meowth? I didn't think that was an option. Were you just given a stray?"

Lexa gripped her shoulder strap tighter, feeling the heat rise from her pack. Mew trilled softly in her ear, a small comfort. "What do you want, Skye?"

"I was going to challenge you, but seeing as you weren't even given a starter pokemon, I don't think it's fair," Skye said, tossing a pokeball up and down with one hand.

"One-on-one," Lexa snapped.

Skye grinned, hand closing over the pokeball he was juggling. "In front of the gym and everything," Skye remarked. "Go, Tetra!"

A squirtle spun out in a flash of red light and skidded to a halt a few feet away from Lexa. The pokemon picked herself up and took a stance that she seemed to think was intimidating. "Squirtle!" it croaked.

Lexa looked at the meowth on her shoulder. Eyes gleaming with mischief, the cat leapt to the ground and sat in front of Tetra, tail whipping playfully. "Mew!" she chirped at the turtle.

"Let's teach this cat a lesson," Skye said to his pokemon. "Bubble!"

The squirtle inhaled deeply and let out a stream of bubbles at the meowth who leapt to her feet. Bouncing from side to side, the transformed mew jumped after bubbles, popping each and every one with batting paws. Confused, Tetra looked to her trainer for guidance.

"Tackle," Skye offered.

Lexa let mew continue as she saw fit, the pokemon was clearly enjoying herself as she bounded around the squirtle, giggling. The turtle slammed into the ground again and again, continuing to miss the energetic cat. Finally, the pokemon gave up and lay on the ground, forcing Skye to recall Tetra and admit defeat.

Mew paraded around after Skye left, tail held high.

"Well done, you!" Lexa commended, picking the pokemon up. Gleeful, she perched on Lexa's shoulder and trilled.

"Mew!"

"Yeah," Lexa agreed automatically and pulled a door open. Darkness greeted her until motion sensors set off the lighting system, sparking cool light to line the floor highlighting the edge of the wide gym. Suddenly, a single spotlight snapped on across the gym. Mew squeaked in her ear and hopped to the floor to stand by her side when the dark silhouette of a woman and a pokemon stood.

"Mara?" Lexa ventured timidly.

"Actually, yes," the woman said, snapping her fingers and stepping forward. A circle of pale blue light appeared beneath her booted feet with each step. "And you are?"

Lexa stared at the pair, trying to fathom the dark pokemon at Mara's side. "Alexia…er, Lexa," she corrected. "Professor Hawthorn sent me." The girl set her pack on the ground and rummaged through it, carefully moving the egg aside and pulled a satchel out.

"So you aren't here to battle?" Mara sounded almost disappointed. "Eclipse." The dark pokemon immediately snapped back to the woman's side and away from the transformed mew. Lexa handed the satchel over and picked up her pokemon who purred happily in her arms and nudged her chin.

"Hawthorn, you say? Are you one of her new trainers?" Mara asked while examining the device she dumped from the bag.

"Yes."

"Well in that case, why don't you come with me? I want to introduce you to a few friends of mine." Mara pocketed the device and led Lexa out the doors, the woman's pokemon walked fluidly beside them, pale moon circles glowing faintly in the gloom.

Outside the back of the gym, Mara leaned on a fence. "Tabitha!" she called. "TABITHA!" An unkempt woman came running with an eevee in her arms.

"What?" she demanded.

"Lexa, here, is a new trainer. I think it would be a great idea if we gave her a gift, something to help her on her way," Mara said, looking fondly at Eclipse. Mew chirped softly in Lexa's ear and she suddenly figured out Mara's pokemon: umbreon, eevee's dark evolution.

"An eevee, you mean?" Tabitha said with a quirk of a smile.

"You're the best breeder here, Tabi," Mara told the woman. "Why shouldn't Lexa have another wonderful companion?"

Tabitha showed Lexa the small kennel she had just behind the gym where a multitude of eevees played and rolled together.

"We usually give them out to new trainers. Go ahead, pick one."

Mara leaned against the side of the gym, her umbreon sat beside her with its eyes on the scene, watching carefully. An eevee tumbled away from the pile and stumbled towards Lexa's feet. It rubbed itself against her ankles until Lexa complied and picked it up.

"Can I really keep it?" she asked, holding the eevee.

"Of course," replied Mara and Tabitha together.

"Thank you so much!" Lexa said with a slight bob.

"Think nothing of it. Here, I'll walk back to the pokecenter with you," Mara offered and called Eclipse after her.

Lexa just started heading back towards the pokecenter with an eevee at her heels and a meowth on her shoulder when she saw Maki heading towards her.


	2. Maki

Chapter 2: Maki

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

Makoto groaned and rolled over, trying to fall back into the dream she had been having. Thunk. Makoto lazily cracked an eye open—something had fallen from the end of her bed. The light coming in through the window seemed strangely bright. Why did that seem so important again? Makoto thought while beginning to pull her covers up over her head. Mid-motion she paused "shit!" gasped and sat straight up, eyes wide. Today was the day. The Day. How could she have overslept?! What time was it anyway…Makoto glanced at her watch—

"12:30!?" she cried and leapt from bed, quickly sprinting around her room, putting on her clothes and tripping over her belongings. Luckily she had packed her bag the night before, she mused while hopping on one foot and pulling on a sock. It had been said bag that had fallen off her bed. She grabbed the bag and threw it over her shoulder before cramming a hat over her messy brunette hair. She only spared a glance at her freckled reflection in the mirror before thundering down the stairs, jumping the last three while praying she had not forgotten anything. Her mother stood at the bottom of the flight, looking slightly amused.

"I overslept!" Makoto wailed to her mother as the woman simply smiled.

"Have a nice journey dear," she said, giving Makoto a kiss on the cheek. Makoto nodded and bid her mother farewell, promising to call often. Then she hurtled out her front door, jogging quickly toward Professor Hawthorne's lab.

Makoto burst through the lab doors, panting. Professor Hawthorne looked up when she heard the doors and smiled in amusement.

"I so sorry I'm late Professor! I overslept and—"

"It is quite alright Makoto. Come, the pokemon are back here." Professor Hawthorne led Makoto to the back of the lab where a large screen and a revolving apparatus containing pokeballs were set up.

"Take your time deciding," Professor Hawthorne suggested as Makoto stepped up to the pokeballs, looking awed. The girl pressed a finger to the nearest pokeball and the screen lit up, displaying a small blue pokemon.

"Mudkip, a water type pokemon," Hawthorne informed Makoto as she considered the screen. Makoto continued to cycle through all the pokeballs, regarding each image as the Professor told her their name and type.

After cycling through all of the pokemon, Makoto rotated back to a particular grass pokemon. She touched the ball again and bulbasaur reappeared on the screen.

"This one," Makoto told Professor Hawthorne.

"You're sure?"

Makoto nodded, "Definitely."

Professor Hawthorne looked even more amused, "Lucky choice, did you know that there are only two others that are later then you?"

Makoto blinked, "…Then why did you let me look at all of the pokemon if only three are left?"

Professor Hawthorne shrugged, "For fun."

"Errr…" Makoto had somehow managed to forget the Professor's rather…interesting sense of humour.

The woman had walked into another room but soon returned, a large egg in her hands. "Now we hatch all of the starter pokemon here ourselves—but some of them haven't hatched yet. Your Bulbasaur for example." Professor Hawthorne slid the egg into Makoto's hands. It was comfortingly warm to the touch and off-white in colour, shimmering green spots littering the surface. The egg seemed to quiver before settling motionless into Makoto's hands.

"Just take good care of it, and it should hatch very soon. I also have some other things for you. Just a moment as I get them…" the Professor disappeared back into the other room as Makoto nodded and looked down at the egg in her hands. She ran her fingers over the surface gently and smiled as it quivered slightly again. She looked back up as Professor Hawthorne returned.

"First, here is your Bulbasaur's pokeball for when he or she hatches, and five more to get you started. Then your pokedex." Makoto carefully slid the warm egg into her messenger-style bag then put the pokeballs and pokedex into another pocket. Professor Hawthorne then handed Makoto another pokedex. Makoto looked at the woman confused.

"I have a favor to ask of you. Could you please find Alexia and give this to her? She ran out of here so fast this morning that I didn't have the chance to give it to her."

Makoto smiled and resisted the urge to roll her eyes while taking the pokedex. She was already bringing an extra map, knowing her friend would have forgotten her own. Luckily it wasn't exactly difficult to navigate between Breezy Blossom and NewMeadow, particularly with those giant signs…

Makoto slipped the second pokedex into her bag and hitched it farther back up her shoulder.

"That should be everything then. Have fun on your journey and be safe. Be sure to check back in every once and a while. Feel free to call anytime."

"Thanks Professor. I'm off then!"

"Good luck!" she wished after Makoto as the girl left the building then sighed. "To think that all of our futures rest on the shoulder's of a bunch of kids…"

Makoto walked down the path out of town, barely resisting the urge to skip; she could not help but grin widely despite the glaring sunlight. She was finally starting out on the journey she had been dreaming of since she first knew what pokemon were. As she left the path leading out of her town and stepped onto grass, trees foretelling of the forest up ahead sprung up around her.

Gently, Makoto dug the egg out of her bag and held it in her hands, smiling at it as it quivered at her touch.

"I can't wait until you hatch," she told it happily, continuing to walk. "Then we can really get to know each other. We're going to be partners, you and I. We'll travel all over the world, fighting battles and earning badges. And you can meet my friend Lexa, who we'll travel with. You'll like her I promise," Makoto told the egg. It quivered and almost seemed to hum. Makoto laughed and looked back up, coming ever closer to the looming trees of the forest that stood between Breezy Blossom and NewMeadow.

The egg was warm in her hands, and the world was quiet around her. If it hadn't been for the silence, Makoto never would have heard the faint rustling in the nearby grass. The girl paused and looked toward the noise warily and curiously. The grass itself seemed to shift, wobbling back and forth slightly. Carefully and as quietly as she could manage, Makoto slid the egg back into her bag then moved toward the strange patch of grass slowly. It continued to wave independent of the breeze, and was also longer then the surrounding grass.

Makoto froze as a twig snapped under her foot loudly. Dirt clods exploded around the strange grass, and a small pokemon leapt out in surprise. The small, grass-crowned pokemon ran in confused circles and finally collided with Makoto's leg then fell flat on it's back looking dazed and complaining "Ooooddish…"

Makoto blinked and looked down at the Oddish as the pokemon slowly staggered back to its feet and look about in confusion before tilting its head back to look up at the girl in question. Its eyes widened in shock and it tried to scurry away once again but instead ran into a nearby tree instead. Makoto winced and approached slowly.

"Hello?" she asked quietly, squatting down and sitting on her own heels.

"Oooooooddish," the pokemon said, seeming to be too disoriented to care about how close she was now.

"Are you alright? I'm sorry for starling you…" Makoto thought for a moment, "Ah! Just a moment!" Makoto set her bag down on the ground next to her and began rooting through it. "Aha! Here, this should help," Makoto pulled a small spray bottle from the bag and applied the contents on the dazed oddish. She smiled as oddish sat back up, looking better nearly immediately. "I knew buying those potions ahead of time would be a good idea. Feeling better?" she asked the pokemon. The oddish looked up at her with wide eyes. "I really am sorry for startling you," Makoto smiled at the pokemon. "I'm Maki, I'm still pretty new at this." The oddish just continued to stare at her.

"Oddish?" the pokemon asked but Maki wasn't sure what the pokemon wanted. Hesitantly the pokemon approached her and then rubbed gently against her leg. Maki blinked then grinned and gently ran a hand over the grass on the pokemon's head. "Oooooddish," the pokemon said approvingly. The pokemon then took two steps back and said in a determined voice, "Oddish". Makoto tilted her head in confusion. The oddish repeated its command, nodding toward the pokeballs in Makoto's belt.

Maki's eyes went wide, "Really?" she said and the oddish nodded. Hands shaking, Maki grabbed an empty pokeball and prepared to throw it at the waiting Oddish. This would be the first pokemon she'd even catch…She took a breath and threw the ball. The oddish disappeared in a beam of red light and the ball rocked slightly back and forth before settling. Makoto resisted the urge to squeal, she'd caught her first pokemon! She leaned over and picked up the ball, smiling. There was a sudden faint sound like the tinkling of wind chimes and a shadow flitted across the ground before her. Maki froze then turned her eyes upward—nothing was there. Warily the girl looked about the treetops, nothing seemed to be there.

Makoto shook her head, assuming she had imagined it. She really needed to get going—she was so late, Lexa was probably wondering where she was.

She had only taken one step before she heard the noise again, accompanied by a sudden breeze past her ear. The girl whipped her head to the side but saw nothing.

"Bii?" she heard then whipped back around. A small green pokemon was floating before her. Makoto's eyes widened to large, round circles.

"C-celebi?" she asked, unable to believe that a legendary pokemon was floating before her.

"Celebi!" the pokemon affirmed with a smile and flew backwards in a circle cheerfully.

"But…what are you doing here Celebi?" Makoto asked. The pokemon paused and gave Maki a cheerful smile then flew into her face, bumping their foreheads for a second before flitting to her waist and touching an empty pokeball with its tiny hand. Red light flashed and the Celebi was gone, nestled into a pokeball at her waist. Makoto popped the occupied pokeball out of her belt and looked at it.

"Maki, surprised to see you here. Don't you normally not get up until the sun has set?" a familiar voce asked and Maki dropped the pokeball into her bag—she really didn't want to let anyone know about the Celebi yet. Particularly not this individual.

"Hlowan," Makoto said coolly, turning to face the other person. They had been good friends when they were little, but for some reason they had drawn apart and the boy had grown to be more of a…well…ass, frankly.

"So where's your starter? Or were you too late to even get one?" the dark-haired boy asked, smirking coolly.

Maki made a face; she'd already had more then enough of the cocky boy. "Let me guess? A battle? One on one."

Hlowan smirked again, "You read my mind," he said sarcastically.

Maki smiled coldly in response, "After you," she said and Hlowan grasped the first pokeball in his belt and pressed the button then threw the ball.

"Go Cyndaquil!" he shouted. Maki sighed internally—of course, this couldn't be easy. He just had to pick a pokemon that was strong against her entire party at the moment. Not that it really mattered, one was still an egg, and another was a legendary that she was trying to keep a secret.

"Go oddish!" Maki cried, throwing the only occupied ball she had on her belt.

Hlowan broke into laughter, making Maki scowl. "An oddish. _Oddish_?" the boy questioned, still laughing.

"Oddish!" the pokemon cried, sounding and looking offended. The Cyndaquil watched her trainer, waiting for a command. The oddish puffed up her cheeks in annoyance.

"Oddish!" Maki commanded, "Sleep powder!" The oddish planted its feet then aimed its grass-crowned head at the cyndaquil as Hlowan broke off his laugher. Too late, the sleep powder settled over his pokemon, and the cyndaquil fell with heavy lidded eyes.

"As you were laughing?" Maki asked her rival sarcastically as his eyes narrowed. "Oddish, tackle." The oddish cheerfully complied. The cyndaquil was still fast asleep. "Tackle again!" The oddish struck again, quickly draining Hlowan's starter pokemon's HP.

"Enough," Hlowan said, calling his slumbering cyndaquil back into its pokeball. "I don't have time for this. We'll have a rematch when you actually get some decent pokemon," Hlowan popped the pokeball back into his belt and brushed past Maki, headed for Newmeadow.

As he disappeared around a corner, Maki looked at the oddish with a raised eyebrow then smiled and squatted down. "He's just embarrassed because we thrashed him. You did great oddish! I really need to give you a name. How about Venasae?" Maki asked the oddish nodded cheerfully. "Alright," Maki laughed, "Venasae it is. Come here." The oddish waddled over and Maki scooped it up into the crook of her arm. "Alright Venasae, let's get to Newmeadow!"

"Oddish!" the pokemon agreed and Maki started on her way once more, whistling cheerfully and throwing a small rock up and down with her free hand to pass the time.

After about 10 minutes of walking Maki was reaching the end of the trees and she knew that Newmeadow was only a couple paces beyond the trees. Unfortunately her foot picked that moment to catch on a rock and send her tumbling to the ground. She shielded Venasae in her arms and the rock she had been tossing up and catching flew from her hand. There was a loud squawk followed by a thunk nearby. Carefully Maki looked up and found a dazed pidgey lying not to far away. Maki looked at the dazed bird pokemon, feeling guilty, but at the same time she had been meaning to catch a pidgey…

Maki stood, then, despite any guilt she may have felt, tossed an empty pokeball at the pidgey. The ball hardly even shuddered before it indicated the pidgey had been caught. Maki picked it up and smiled. One step closer to the perfect team she'd been dreaming of since she was 6. She popped the ball back into her belt then continued on to the edge of the trees. Sunlight dazzled her eyes and she gained her first glance of Newmeadow as a trainer.


	3. First Battle

Chapter 3: First Battle

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

A second glance revealed Lexa to her, another woman walking beside her, an Umbreon on the woman's heels.

"Lexa!" Maki called, waving and grinning. Maki rushed up to her friend.

"Maki!" Lexa cried, slamming into Maki, arms wide open. Miraculously, mew remained firmly attached to Lexa's head, eyes bright. "You made it!"

"Yeah! Sorry I'm late! I overslept! I didn't get up until 12:30…" Maki apologized, rubbing the back of her neck in embarrassment.

"12:30?" Lexa asked, stepping back. "It's only just after ten."

"Err…" Maki glanced briefly at her bag where the Celebi resided then amended her story, "I meant 9:30. I ran here. Guess I'm still half-asleep aha. Ha."

Lexa looked Maki up and down. "Uh huh."

"Mew!" trilled the pokemon on her shoulder. Lexa shot her a look. "Mew..owth," Mew amended.

Maki looked at the meowth on her friend's shoulder suspiciously, then shook her head and continued, "Anyway, I brought an extra map for you. Oh! And Professor Hawthorn gave me your pokedex. That's what you get for getting up early and being in such a hurry," Maki mock-scolded while she dug in her bag for the two objects, careful not to disturb the oddish she still cradled in her arm.

Lexa smacked her forehead with one hand and accepted the items. "Thanks. Oh, Maki, Maki! This is Mara." Her eevee sat at Maki's feet, staring up with wide eyes. It mouthed soundlessly at her friend.

Maki's eyes went wide, "Where?!" was the only thing she could utter.

Mara laughed, Eclipse joined its trainer in her mirth. "Follow me."

Makoto wordlessly obeyed, following the woman and umbreon to the back of the gym where a fenced in area contained numerous eevee, playing and rolling about in the grass. Maki's eyes went wide taking in the sight.

"Go ahead, pick one," Mara told her with a grin. Makoto looked at her with still wide eyes then her face split in a grin and she turned back to the eevee, scanning over all of them. Her eyes landed on one who was sitting by himself near the edge, looking out into the world beyond his fenced in play area.

Maki walked over and squatted next to him. The eevee looked her over then seemed to feel that the girl suited him fine as he stood and walked over to her and rubbed against her knee then leapt deftly up onto her shoulder. Maki scratched him gently behind the ears before standing again and headed back toward Lexa and Mara.

"Thank you so much Mara. I've dreamed of having an eevee since…well…since I've known what pokemon were practically."

Mara laughed, "It's nothing, really. We normally give them to new trainers. Plus I'm sure you two will take good care of the eevee."

"We will! Come _on_, Maki!" Lexa tugged on the other girl's shirtsleeve. "Thanks again!" Mara waved briefly and knelt before her umbreon, but the two were too far out of earshot to hear what trainer and pokemon discussed.

They made an immediate beeline to the pokeshop to restock necessary supplies, both laughing at inside jokes and ridiculous concepts. Mew sat happily on her shoulder the entire time, giggling appropriately or whenever she pleased.

"So, I think there are some things we should discuss," Lexa started as soon as they left the outskirts of town, heading towards the next town. However, before either could say more, mew shrieked and vanished under Lexa's hood and into her coat.

Maki and Lexa started and looked around warily. A small group of people stood not too far away, gathered around something small and blue on the ground. Said pokemon was making weak noises of distress.

The girls narrowed their eyes at the group and Lexa began angrily approaching the group, not really thinking her actions through before hand. Maki grabbed after Lexa, but was a step behind, and thus ended up stumbling after her friend, reaching desperately after, hands closing solely on air.

"Hey!" Lexa snapped at the nearest person. "What do you think you are doing?"

He seized her up before shoving roughly aside. "Get lost, kid."

Lexa rubbed her forehead. Not at all dissuaded and ignoring Maki's protests, she unhitched a pokeball from her belt. The man looked several years her senior and simply laughed.

"Don't you listen? No? Well, bring it, kid," he said, stepping away from his friends.

The ball in Lexa's hand exploded open with an ear splitting screech at the man's words. The golden pidgey flew angrily into the nearest person's face and viciously explained its feelings in a raucous series of furious shrieks and buffeting feathers. Blessed by this instant of distraction, Lexa snatched the ill pokemon by the tail and pulled it close to her chest while the group was momentarily stunned.

"Pidgey!" she yelled at it once she stood safely by Maki's side again. The bird whirled around to face her, fury in its eyes.

"Pidgey!" it screamed back at her.

Recovering, the man sent out his own pokemon. "Houndour!" His groupmates sidled up next to him, imposing and hefting pokeballs of their own.

The dog pokemon leapt forward from the ball, fangs bared and ears folded back.

"Pidgey, behind you!" Lexa yelled at the disobedient pokemon. Its long-winded accusation came to a screeching halt when ember hit it full on in the back. The pokemon in her arms twitched feebly and murmured. "…Seaa…"

"Gust!" she commanded her pidgey when the hound readied another fire attack. Giving her a look that said their quarrel was not over yet, the bird spun to face this new threat. Golden wings flashing, pidgey blew hot embers back in Houndour's face, forcing the dog back. While the dog took a moment to paw hot sparks from its face, the pidgey made a diving tackle from the air, unbalancing the dog. Houndour yelped and flipped to its feet, not finished yet.

"Maki," Lexa whispered. "They kind of outnumber us. I don't know what to do…"

Pidgey crowed victoriously when the houndour took several faltering steps before collapsing on the ground. The man called his fainted pokemon back into its pokeball and one of his friends stepped forward.

"Well done, but do you think you can take us all on?" The girl stood with one hand on her hip, head tilted and eyes narrowed. "Give us back our horsea and we'll think nothing of it."

Lexa could only shake her head wordlessly, but pidgey had other plans. Lexa did not know what the bird said, but chances were it was nothing close to a friendly comment on the other girl's outfit. Face reddening, the other girl tossed her pokeball into the air, releasing a large floating pokemon in a flash of red light.

"Weezing," it coughed.

"Well, shit," Maki whispered.

"Agreed. Let's run," Lexa hissed back, scooping her frozen eevee up and holding both the eevee and the horsea in her arms.

Maki grasped her oddish tightly in her arms as her newly obtained eevee dug his claws into her clothes to hold onto her shoulder, then began backing away from the oncoming trainers, all of whom looked both impatient and pissed, pulling out pokeballs.

Maki stumbled backward slightly then, as if they had rehearsed it, both Lexa and Maki whipped around and began sprinting away as quickly as possible. Lexa's pidgey was still cawing angrily at the menacing trainers behind them, much more interested in clipping them in the faces with her wings then running away. Lexa called back to the pokemon but it ignored her.

A loud shriek resounded behind them but Lexa and Maki didn't stop to turn and look, they just kept sprinting.

Maki looked up from her pounding feet then skidded to a stop, Lexa doing the same at her side. Before them were two more of the menacing trainers. Lexa and Maki looked at each other panicked, they didn't have any pokemon on them that were ready for this.

"Hand over the pokemon brats, and we won't thrash you too hard," one trainer warned. Maki and Lexa shook their heads, pushing their pokemon behind them. "No? Don't say we didn't warn you," the trainer said cruelly. Before the two trainers could do anything though a cracking noise split the air. In unison Lexa and Maki looked at their bags, slid the eggs gently out, looked at each other then rolled the eggs toward the feet of their enemies.

"What the hell?" the other trainer demanded as they leaned over and picked up the eggs, then laughed. "Eggs? Glad to see you're starting to see it our wa—" the trainer began then the eggs exploded, one expelling flames into one trainers face and whipping vines in the other. The two gave loud cries then dropped the eggs.

The eggs cracked open all the way and two young pokemon rolled out.

"Bulbasaur…" the grass-pokemon said.

"Chaaaar," the other pokemon agreed as they both got to their feet, facing off against the recovering enemy trainers.

Maki couldn't help but give a happy cry, "All right! Bulbasaur!" while pumping her right arm in the air.

However, their victory was short lived as both trainers pitched pokeballs forward. A furret and a noctowl landed before both newly hatched pokemon. Charmander maneuvered his way between the noctowl and the bulbasaur, instinctually covering his companion's weakness.

"Kasdeya, ember!" Lexa commanded in unison with Maki's "Vine whip!"

The flame on the pokemon's tail grew brighter. "Chaaar!" Kasdeya cried, unleashing a stream of hot embers at the flying pokemon, forcing the noctowl to bank away.

The bulbasaur's vine whip hurtled toward the furret, the normal type pokemon managing to dodge the first attempt but the second landed, knocking the furret onto its side. The furret quickly leapt back up looking annoyed.

"Furret, slam the bulbasaur!" the trainer commanded and the furret was quick to obey, quickly closing the distance between itself and Maki's bulbasaur. It was too quick for either Maki or the bulbasaur to do anything and the grass-pokemon was sent head over heels backward as Maki winced.

"Bulbasaur you alright?" Maki asked and the bulbasaur struggled back to its feet.

Meanwhile Lexa and her charmander did not seem to be faring much better.

"Noctowl, hypnosis!" the noctowl's trainer commanded when Kasdeya's ember attack ended. The noctowl hooted and turned its luminous eyes on the charmander in question. A moment later Kasdeya feel to a knee before slowly pushing itself back up, looking a little worse for wear.

Maki hated to admit it, but they were still pretty unmatched—their pokemon had just hatched over all.

The opposing trainers raised their hands, issuing their next command in unison: "Noctowl, Confusion!" "Furret, tackle!"

The two pokemon bore down on the recently hatched starters when the battlefield was suddenly rent with a terrible cry. A golden flash swooped before the opposing trainers, right past the oncoming noctowl and furret. When the flash was gone the noctowl and furret were strewn on the ground, eyes swirling dizzily, the pokemon no longer fit to battle.

"…what…" Lexa began.

"…was that?" Maki finished for her friend as the trainers opposite them looked annoyed.

"What the hell was that?!" one demanded as they both craned their necks trying to spot the golden interruption.

Lexa spotted it then, doing a victory lap around the field, looking quite satisfied with itself, and her jaw dropped. "No…way…"

"Pidgeyoooo!" it called, circling back around to hover at Lexa's shoulder, powerful wings keeping it aloft.

They turned simultaneously around to see the original passé clambering to their feet and dusting themselves off. Eye contact was made and both Maki and Lexa spun in sync, backs rigid.

"Let's go now?" Lexa asked, eyes straight ahead.

"Oh yeah," Maki agreed.

Pidgeotto continued to voice its opinion at the group members, ignoring the fact that everyone else was leaving as fast as possible.

"Pidgeotto!" Lexa hissed, fingers managing to tug on a wingtip.

"Eh?" the bird seemed to say.

"Let's go!"

They pushed past the disbelieving trainers and booked it towards Fernspring as though all the denizens of hell were on their heels. Not resting until the safety of the pokecenter was assured when they closed the doors behind them, they rested against the inside of the building briefly to catch their breath.

A sudden pecking at the glass door startled Lexa, she had totally forgotten to recall pidgeotto. She opened the door and the bird pokemon zoomed in, looking extremely pleased with itself. It landed on the counter and puffed itself up, preening its golden feathers. A stunned woman behind the counter looked from the pokemon to its trainer.


	4. Fernspring Gym

Chapter 4: Fernspring Gym

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

Maki tugged on Lexa's sleeve, getting her friend to move again.

"Well done, pidgeotto," Lexa commended, stroking the bird's head. It burbled happily and closed its eyes in contentment, basking in praise. Lexa took in the large bird's golden plumage and fierce look and decided that she needed an appropriate name. "Nivalla?" Lexa asked.

"Geeoo!" the pidgeotto affirmed and refused to move from the counter, still pleased with herself. With Maki's help, Lexa managed to shift the bird a few feet over so that they could talk to the lady who introduced herself as nurse Joy.

Lexa unloaded her eevee on the countertop, pushed the floundering horsea at Joy along with the pokeball that held Kasdeya with a desperate, "heal them." As an afterthought Lexa added, "Please."

Maki shook her head at the large golden bird on the counter; still having trouble believing it had spontaneously decided to evolve. Nurse joy took the horsea with a worried look and handed it off gently to a chansey who rushed forward to accept it. The chansey hurried away to care for the injured horsea. Maki turned back to the counter and the woman called Nurse Joy as the pokemon disappeared into another room. Nurse Joy was taking the pokeball containing Kasdeya and placing it in a machine to heal the pokemon inside. Maki removed the pokeballs containing her pidgey and bulbasaur on the counter then set Venasae on the counter as well, the oddish looking more then a little worn. The eevee on her shoulder finally relaxed once again, its claws loosening from Maki's hoodie.

"Heal these too?" Maki asked the woman behind the counter once she handed Lexa Kasdeya's pokeball back. Nurse Joy smiled and took the pokeballs and placed them in the machine then pulled out potions for the pokemon not in pokeballs. Maki watched Nurse Joy work as she reached up and scratched her eevee—who she had dubbed Raoto—behind his ears. The eevee made a purr-like noise and Maki couldn't help but smile.

"Are you two new trainers then?" Nurse Joy asked, handing Maki back her pokeballs.

Both Lexa and Maki nooded, "Yeah, we started out today. It's been…eventful…" Lexa provided as explanation.

"Today? Where ever did you find a horsea so early in your journey?" Nurse Joy asked curiously.

A dark look crossed both girls' features. "There were some trainers abusing the horsea on the road between Newmeadow and Fernspring, we got the horsea out but we were outmatched…" Maki said, hugging Venasae to her chest.

"Ooooddish," the pokemon said in a comforting manner.

Nurse Joy's face burst into anger at the words, "Abusing pokemon?! That is unacceptable!" Suddenly a look of dawning crossed the woman's face and she said, "Excuse me for a moment." Nurse Joy went into another room, making a call. Lexa and Maki could not make out Nurse Joy or the woman on the other end of the line's words but the other voice sounded strangely familiar.

"Is that Hawthorn?" Lexa asked Maki, watching the look of dawning on her friend's face. _I was supposed to phone Hawthorn_! Lexa remembered. _I'll do that later_.

"I wonder why?" Maki thought aloud. The same pensive look was mirrored on both girls' faces only to fade into simple anxiety when Joy returned. The woman saw the two still hovering at the counter and she put on an untroubled façade.

Lexa opened her mouth to ask Nurse Joy about the situation, but the woman brushed her attempts aside. "The horsea needs a bit more time here, so why don't you both go explore the town for an hour? As you're beginning trainers you may want to check out the gym here," Joy said, face taking on a tired smile.

Recognizing a dismissal, both turned to leave. Lexa made a gesture of wait and ran back to the counter.

"Look you," Lexa said to the golden bird pokemon. "It's time to go, into the pokeball with you."

"Geoo," the pidgeotto replied, rustling her wings. "Geee."

"_In_," repeated Lexa and she held the ball at the pokemon. Lexa could feel mew shivering under her jacket.

"Mew," the pokemon chirped from under the jacket.

Marahute cocked her head. "Geoo?" the bird called and hopped into the ball, vanishing into a cloud of red light. Shaking her head, Lexa put the ball back on her belt and picked the little eevee hugging her ankles.

"Alright," she said, catching up to Maki.

Maki smiled, glancing sideways at her friend. "Gym time?" she asked.

Lexa flashed a grin of her own, "Gym time," she confirmed and the two made a beeline for the large building that housed the first gym leader they would ever challenge.

The two paused before the oversized doors that served as an entrance to the gym, appreciating all the years it had taken before they could get to this point—now they'd _really_ be on their way with their journey. Maki took one last glance at the large blue doors, carvings of water pokemon decorating the surface, before pushing on one of the doors as Lexa pushed on the other.

Inside the girls were met with a large expanse of pool, several feet of floor bordering it on every side, platforms littering its surface. Maki's eyes panning the wide room until a splashing noise drew them back to the pool.

"There!" Lexa said and nodded toward the center of the pool. An individual had climbed out of the water onto one of the platforms. Suddenly the person caught sight of Lexa and Maki standing near the entrance. A grin split the girl's face, her long dark hair dripping.

"Amelia! Trainers!" the girl suddenly yelled.

"What? Trainers?" another voice called from the back wall, high above their heads. Suddenly another dark haired female jack-dove into the pool, resurfacing a moment later to join the first girl on the platform. The two grinned at Lexa and Maki, back to back, their faces and expressions identical.

"Welcome trainers, to the Fernspring Gym! I'm Amelia! And this is my twin sister, Azeallia. We're the gym leaders!"

"It's been a while since we've had two trainers challenge us at once, I don't suppose you'd be interested in a double battle?" Amelia asked, her blue eyes flashing hopefully.

Lexa and Maki glanced at each other, then grinned. "We'd be very interested," Lexa told the twins.

"Excellent," the dark-haired gym leaders said in unison.

One high-fived the other and flipped out a pokeball. "Two pokemon each sound fair?" Amelia (or was it Azeallia?) asked.

How could they say no? Caught up in the thrill of the impending battle, Lexa could almost hear some epic battle music beginning.

"In that case—" The twins looked at each other, and one called, "Seel!"

"Spheal!" yelled the other.

Together they cried, "Go!"

Two pokeballs flew high into the air, releasing the pokemon inside with a flash of red light. Two seal pokemon rose to the surface of the pool, their otherwise awkward forms graceful in the water. Seel treaded water, waiting for its opponent, while spheal floated like a giant bubble, burbling happily.

Lexa fingered the pokeball holding Kasdeya. She was at a serious disadvantage here; Kasdeya was a fire type in a water gym. Using him would be a serious risk. Maki appeared to have an idea judging by the look on the girl's face. However, Lexa's dilemma was decided for her when a pokeball on her belt split open.

"Geooo!" called Marahute, soaring high above the stadium. Lexa stared after the bird pokemon for a moment before shaking her head, hand massaging her forehead. Mew peeked out of her jacket, chuckling softly.

"Mew!" she said softly.

Maki grinned to herself, shaking her head, then popped a pokeball out of her belt, tossing it in the air once and catching it before throwing it forward crying, "Venasae, go!" The oddish materialized on a nearby platform.

"Oddish!" the pokemon cried, taking a fighting stance against the seel and spheal.

"Seel!" commanded one of the twins, "icy wind that oddish now!"

"Spheal, follow seel's icy wind with a body slam!" the other twin echoed.

Maki's eyes widened in worry as one then the other pokemon came bearing down on her oddish.

"Oooddish…" the plant pokemon cried weakly, knocked back by the attacks. The enemy seel and spheal returned to fighting position before their trainers.

"Venasae!" Maki called, the oddish struggled back it her feet. Maki nodded then commanded, "use absorb on that seel!"

The enemy seel looked about itself in worry as light gathered around its body then flew across the battlefield to Vanasae's leafy crown. The oddish stood tall again, rejuvenated by the absorb's power.

Lexa followed the pidgeotto's flight with her eyes. The mercurial bird did not seem to be paying much attention to the battlefield below. She sighed, and let her turn pass, unsure if Marahute would even hear her if she tried calling.

"Seel, aurora beam the pidgeotto!" ordered a twin from the lower diving board.

Her sister climbed to the high dive and called to her pokemon, "Fill the stadium with your icy wind, spheal!"

The temperature dropped instantly and a chill wind whipped past both Maki and Lexa, bringing with it shards of ice as it tore through the stadium. Oddish cried out as she was buffeted by the sudden gale of ice.

The golden pidgeotto let out a cry of surprise when seel's aurora beam struck the ceiling beside the bird and shattered into a spray of rainbow light. With a raptor's hunting cry, the bird swerved around and dove from the sky, dropping like a stone.

"Seel, dive!" a sister yelled, while her twin shouted, "Body slam!"

Seel disappeared underwater before pidgeotto could exact revenge. The bird winged over the surface of the water and shot up into the air to hover feet above the water's surface. Meanwhile, oddish ran as spheal came rolling after her.

An idea suddenly dawned on Lexa. "Marahute, gust!"

"Pi-ey-ey-ey!" the bird shrilled. Wings beating rapidly, Marahute whipped up a storm directed at the pool where seel's shadow could be vaguely seen. Water parted in waves, moved by the wind's force, and revealing the seel. Stunned, seel stared up at the hovering pidgeotto, not quite sure how to react.

"Geooo!" Marahute called, initiating a diving tackle on the already weakened pokemon.

"Seeeeeeel!" the enemy pokemon cried and fainted, recalled a second later by its owner.

"Seel return! Staryu, go!" the trainer cried, one pokemon disappearing as another appeared. Then the twin grinned, "You guys are pretty good, but we're just getting started! Staryu, rapid spin that oddish!"

The staryu leapt from the water and began spinning quickly, hurtling toward Maki's oddish. It slammed into the plant pokemon, sending her head over heals and almost over the side of the platform into the water.

"Oh no! oddish! Absorb on the spheal!" Maki cried as Lexa tried to convince her pidgeotto to listen to her.

"Marahute! Use tackle! Or gust! Or anything!!" Lexa told the bird pokemon, who had returned to circling the ceiling of the gym. The bird pokemon ignored her for the moment.

"Spheal!" one of the twins cried, trying to catch the attention of her weakened pokemon after oddish's absorb. "Use aurora beam on that bird!" The spheal geared up to attack Marahute, shooting a rainbow beam of light charging toward the flying pokemon.

"Geeee?!" the bird pokemon cried in annoyance as the attack caught its tail feathers, then spun around to face the enemy pokemon.

"Geez Marahute, do I have your attention _now?_" Lexa asked.

"Geoooooo!" the pokemon cried, still looking annoyed.

Oddish stood at ready once again, only a little worse for wear. "Oddish! Use sleep powder on the staryu and spheal!" The slivery powder rose from oddish's leafy crown and flew over the battlefield. The spheal was too weakened to evade the powder, and began floating on the surface, snoring slightly. The staryu on the other hand, dove beneath the waves, evading the powder.

"Good job staryu! Now rapid spin and tackle the oddish!!" commanded one trainer, pointing her finger at the oddish in question.

"And I'll use Awakening on my spheal!" the other trainer cried, throwing the item at the floating pokemon. "Now spheal, follow up staryu's attack with a body slam to the oddish!"

The oddish flew back and fainted, unable to continue fighting. "Venasae, return!" Maki called, then grasped a new pokeball. "Bulbasaur, go!" the new pokemon appeared in a beam of red light.

"Spheal! Ice ball on that pidgeotto!" the attack careened toward the bird pokemon, catching it full in the chest. The bird pokemon fell out of the air and onto a platform.

Lexa flinched when Marahute tried to rise and succeeded passing out. "Nice try, Marahute, return." Hefting Marahute's pokeball pensively, Lexa wondered what pokemon she should use next. Her limited selection did not offer her much choice.

"Rapid spin that bulbasaur!"

"Mew!" said the pokemon in her jacket. Mew squirmed out of Lexa's jacket and jumped to the floor in time to sidestep a spinning staryu.

"Spheal, water gun meowth!" a twin called from the high dive. Spheal inflated and let out a stream of water at the frolicking transformed mew. Lexa was at a loss as to how to command the mew, but the feline cocked her head back at Lexa and closed her eyes happily before leaping into action.

"Razor leaf!" Maki ordered bulbasaur before the staryu slammed into the pokemon. Sharpened leaves hurled at the flying staryu, slowing and then forcing the staryu to stop. Limping, the staryu drooped on the floor.

Bounding happily aside, mew bounced in circles around the beached spheal. Forced to spin around and around like a sprinkler, spheal rolled to a halt, eyes spinning and dizzy. Chittering happily, mew pranced around the prone spheal.

"Unorthodox, but kudos! Return, spheal. Go pilowag!" A second water pokemon dove into the pool.

"Quick, tackle before it recovers!" Maki told bulbasaur. With a cry of victory, Maki's bulbasaur crashed into the staryu as it was beginning its recover ability. The star pokemon spun off the side and into the water. Moments later it floated to the surface and was recalled by its trainer.

"Poliwag! Hyponosis!" one of the twins cried, fully realizing that she was now quite outmatched as it was her last pokemon and her sister was out.

"Bulbasaur razor leaf!" Maki cried, and the leaves soared across the battlefield, hitting the poliwag with enough force to knock it over before it had a chance to complete its own attack.

"Mew…oth! Use…err…pound?" Lexa asked more then commanded.

"Mew!" the pokemon cried happily and half-bounced, half-bounded across the platforms to the poliwag, and delivered a strong pound attack. The poliwag fell over, unable to continue battling.

The meowth bounded around the fainted pokemon joyfully, chattering happily, "Mew, mew mew mew, mew mew—meowth!"

"Return…re…retu-return…" one of the twins was saying, attempting to recall her fainted poliwag but Lexa's meowth kept getting in the way. "Umm…could you please ask your meowth to move?"

"Mew-Meowth, come back!" Lexa called and the pokemon's head shot up, looking at her. It seemed to smile and bounded back to her side. Lexa caught the meowth in her arms and hugged her. Mew trilled in her ear and began purring. Noticing Maki's sidelong look, Lexa shrugged sheepishly and turned to the approaching trainers.

"Wow, you two were pretty good for your first gym battle," said one twin.

"Yeah," added the other, smiling. "We have something for you."

"Several something, actually," piped up her sister. She snagged something by the towel stand and ran over to where her sister, Maki, and Lexa were standing. Two glittering badges shone amid the folded towel for both young trainers, which each took with bright eyes.

"And these are for you." The other twin held out four water balls. "They are better at catching water pokemon than your average pokeball. Good luck on your journey!"

Maki and Lexa left together, and as soon as the gym doors closed high-fived each other.


	5. Round Robin

Chapter 5: Round Robin

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

"That was awesome! I can't believe we have a badge!" Maki said, running her thumb along the side of said badge, grinning down at its shinning surface as the pair headed back to the pokecenter to heal their pokemon and check on the horsea. They passed the automatic doors and walked up the counter.

Nurse Joy turned and saw them and smiled, "Back so soon, how was gym?" she asked.

Lexa and Maki grinned and held up their badges for Nurse Joy to see. "Congratulations," the woman said with a smile then turned to the chansey who entered the room, healed horsea in hands. "Ah! Good timing, it seems the horsea is all healed now. Though you'll have to make sure she takes it easy for a while still." The nurse took the horsea gently and presented it to Lexa.

Lexa took the pokemon from Nurse Joy and held up a pokeball to horsea. "Sea!" the horsea exclaimed and vanished. Lexa added the ball to her belt and looked at Maki.

"Anything else for us to do in this town?"

Maki shrugged.

"What comes next?" Lexa said over mew's trilling purr.

"Clover Heights isn't too far from here," Joy told them. "It should only take you an hour by foot. Do you have a bike?"

Both shook their heads.

"Hmm, well, walking it is. At least the weather is nice. Take care you two!" The nurse turned to talk to the chansey that tugged at her sleeve.

Maki and Lexa turned to leave, exiting the building and heading for the town exit. Maki pulled out her map, preparing for when they would more likely than not get turned around. They'd never been beyond Newmeadow before and they were about to tread into completely unfamiliar territory.

Half an hour later Maki was very glad for the map as the two looked at their surroundings, scratching at the back of their necks as they stood before a fork in the path. "Hmm, according to this we want the…right path?"

"It worries me how unsure you sound of that…"Lexa responded.

"I—do you hear that?" Maki asked, tilting her head to the side and listening to the afternoon surroundings. There was the sound of approaching footsteps, the pair turned to see several people approaching, all dressed in the same manner as those who had been abusing the horsea. Maki's eyes widened and she grabbed Lexa's elbow pulling the other girl along with her as she dove to hide in some of the tall grass and bushes along-side the path. The group of trainers passed by slowly, leavened down by number of heavy-looking non-descript cases. The two waited until the group had passed by and were out of sight for at least 10 minutes before leaving their hiding place.

"They looked like those people from before…didn't they?" Lexa asked while trying to coax mew out of her coat again. Maki nodded, her eyes still on the path that the other trainers had long since vanished on.

"If you're right, then they are taking the same path we are." Lexa sighed. "I guess we should keep going. Clover Heights…we have to go there next, right?"

Maki nodded again.

Mew finally crawled out of Lexa's hood and nudged her head against Lexa's. "Mew," the pokemon said softly.

"Yeah, I know," Lexa replied absently, feeling the cat's troubled emotions. She scratched mew behind the ears as she walked side by side with her friend. "This is the second time we've run into them and me-meowth keeps freaking every time."

Maki paused them, "That reminds me…wasn't there something we needed to talk about?" Maki cocked on eyebrow at her friend, hands on her hips.

"Er…well…" Lexa and the meowth glanced at each other then Lexa looked at her friend. "Show her," Lexa asked of the pokemon. Its form suddenly rippled and melted away, replaced by light pink fur and a recognizable form.

"I _knew_ it!" Maki cried as the pink pokemon giggled and flew around Lexa's shoulders. Then Maki glanced down at her own bag, and then pulled out the hidden pokeball. "Though I suppose I have something to show as well…come on out," Maki said and the ball glowed then the occupant appeared in a red beam of light.

"Celebi!" the pokemon announced happily.

"Oh wow, celebii? Did you find it in the forest too?" Lexa asked as mew flitted off to chase celebii around.

"Yeah," Maki answered.

"That's where I found mew…" Lexa's voice trailed off and her face grew pensive.

"What?" Maki demanded, not letting Lexa hide anything.

Lexa hesitated. "Well, it doesn't really seem like a coincidence, does it? Finding one legendary pokemon…yes, but two?"

"Exactly what I was thinking."

"But why?" Lexa wondered aloud. Maki shrugged, but before their discussion could go any further a distant voice hailed them. Maki recalled celebii in a panic and hastily shoved the pokeball into her bag. In an instant, mew returned into her meowth disguise and clambered onto Lexa's head.

"Oi! You guys trainers?" Several boys looking about their age swarmed the pair.

"Err..." Lexa began.

"They got pokeballs, Miles, 'course they're trainers," piped up one with a baseball cap.

"So, whatta say? Wanna battle us?" one of the boys – the one that had been called Miles – asked, looking hopeful.

Maki and Lexa glanced at each other with raised eyebrows. "Err…all six of you?" Maki questioned.

"Well, not all at once," the boy responded matter of-factly. "Two at a time. If you can beat all of us we'll give you some super secret special information."

Lexa and Maki's eyebrows really shot up at that.

Another of the boys groaned. "Miles, I thought we decided not to call it that!"

Maki and Lexa looked at each other and shrugged. "We accept," they said in unison, interrupting what seemed to be a budding argument between the group opposing them.

"Really? Awesome!" Miles exclaimed, looking excited. Miles glanced at the group. "Arty, Chip, you two go first!"

The two boys nodded and stepped forward, pokeballs already in hand.

"Go rattata!" cried one of the boys as the other shouted, "Go weedle!"

Two pokemon materialized on the road before them, each taking a fighting stance before their respective trainers.

Lexa picked a pokeball from her belt. "Kasdeya!" The black charmander appeared in a flash of red.

"Char!"

Maki looked at the eevee on her shoulder. "You ready?"

"Eevee!" the eevee nodded.

"Raoto, Go!" Maki cried, pointing her finger and the eevee leapt from her shoulder, taking a battle stance; lowering his body to the ground and ready to spring.

"Rattata, tackle the eevee!" the boy named Arty called as Chip commanded, "Poison sting!"

Lexa and Maki barely glanced at each other before commanding their pokemon.

"Raoto get down!"

"Kasdeya, ember!" Maki's eevee hugged the ground as Kasdeya released the fire attack, flames shooting over Rao's crouched form and burning through the on coming poison sting attack and sent the weedle flying back. The flames also deterred the tackling rattata who doubled back before returning to accomplish its trainer's command.

"Rao, agility!" Maki cried and the eevee leapt up before the rattata could land its attack, successfully evading. "All right! Now tackle the rattata!"

"Eevee!" Raoto charged back, knocking the surprised rattata on its side before leaping back in front of Maki, awaiting her command.

"Oh no, weedle!" Chip exclaimed and recalled the burned pokemon – too weakened to fight. "Go zubat!" Chip called out his next pokemon.

"Kasdeya, take that zubat out of the sky! Use scratch!"

"Char!" Kasdeya affirmed, leaping at the materializing zubat, claws outstretched. Zubat fell with a startled shriek. A third boy ran up beside Chip with a pokeball clutched in his fist.

"We'll show you! Pidgey!"

The bird flew out of the pokeball and wheeled high into the sky and out of reach.

Kasdeya jumped back from a semi-charred zubat, eyes on the sky. Crestfallen, Chip called back the broken zubat and stepped away. A fourth boy took his place.

"Growlithe, I choose you!"

The fire dog appeared with a bark. Growling, it lunged at eevee.

"Quick, Rao, sand attack!"

The eevee jumped back and kicked sand into the dog's eyes, forcing growlithe to skid away with a sharp whine.

"Pidgey, tackle!" the bird pokemon's trainer commanded. Pidgey swooped down from behind, aiming for Raoto's blind spot.

"Rao, drop!" Maki cried.

"Kas!" Lexa yelled at the same time as Maki's command.

Kasdeya spun, finding the bird. "Char!" the fire pokemon yelled as he exhaled fire at the diving pokemon, over eevee prostrate form. The pidgey chattered in anger, wheeling away as it received a face full of embers.

The growlithe was back, loping toward the still crouched eevee. Too late, Maki and Rao saw him and Rao was sent head over heels for a moment. Rao got back to his feet, looking annoyed. He shook dirt off his fur and padded back toward the growlithe, light and quick on his feet. Pidgey came diving back into the battle and Kasdeya chased it back away with a small stream of flames.

"Rao, headbutt!" Maki commanded and Rao sped into action, charging the growlithe as Kasdeya continued to singe the pidgey's feathers with blast after blast of ember.

The growlithe yipped as Rao's attack connected. Eevee bounced back off growlithe's flank, landing lightly on his feet and tail held high. The fire dog hopped back to its feet with its hackles raised.

"Growlithe, burn that eevee!"

Growlithe maneuvered away from eevee, sparks flying from its fur and inhaled deeply. With a deafening bark, flames shot from the dog's muzzle at the tiny eevee. Eevee squealed as Kasdeya tossed him into the air and into the path of the oncoming angry pidgey to take the fire attack.

"Char!" the charmander called. Rao managed to turn his whirlwind course into a high velocity headbutt, knocking the pidgey out cold. With a little hop, Rao landed daintily on the ground while pidgey's trainer recalled his pokemon, head hanging.

Embers settled around Kasdeya's feet and the pokemon opened his eyes, angry and narrowed.

The pidgey's owner fell back as the next boy stepped up, throwing a pokeball to release a spearow.

Before the boy had the chance to say anything Lexa recalled Kasdeya. It was time to give someone else a chance…that and the pokemon seemed to be getting a little carried away and formulating their own plots. Maki seemed to feel the same as she recalled Raoto as well. The charmander disappeared in a blaze of red light and the eevee bounded back to Maki's side and onto her shoulder, looking satisfied.

"Eevee! Go!" Lexa called, and the eevee at her heels sprung into action, its mouth wide in a silent cry and standing in a battle position.

Maki grasped a pokeball from her belt, holding it up, "Pidgey, go!" there was a beam of light and the pokemon appeared…only to disappear again without anything more than a icy glare leveled at Maki. "Umm…or not. Uhhh…" Maki grasped a different pokeball, "Bulbasaur go!" she amended, said pokemon appearing on the field.

"Spearow! Peck the eevee!" the new trainer commanded.

"Growlithe, ember on the bulbasaur!" the other commanded, their pokemon springing into action.

"Eevee, agility and headbutt!" Lexa commanded, the eevee silently jumping away from the pecking spearow and then back to knock the bird pokemon onto its back. It floundered gracelessly before regaining its feet and taking to the air.

The eevee didn't wait for the bird to get back up though, instead she dashed across the field and repeated her combo, knocking over the growlithe and cutting off his attack, sparing Maki's bulbasaur. The growlithe's trainer recalled the fire dog pokemon and stepped back to allow the last of the group—Miles—to join the battle.

"Alright, I choose you---you're not nidoran!" Miles began then broke off, staring at the pink pokemon that had appeared in a red beam of light. "June's jigglypuff?! What did my sister do?"

"Dude, seriously?" Chip asked, eyebrows raised. Two more of his buddies were holding their sides in silent laughter.

"Knock it off you guys!" Miles whined at them, not quite sure what to do with the pink pokemon.

"Jigglypuff!" the pokemon said, blowing itself up to a round ball.

Eevee's ears flicked up and back down as she pranced around the battlefield, just as light on her feet as her brother. The spearow circled back around and aimed itself at Maki's bulbasaur.

"Razor leaf, fast!" Maki told bulbasaur.

"Saur!" grunted the plant pokemon. Nasty leaves spun from bulbasaur's back and into spearow's flight path. The bird may have been all right had not the unexpected happened. Using agility, the small eevee darted up bulbasaur's back and ran up the stream of leaves to deliver another devastating headbutt to spearow. The last of spearow's strength waned when the final leaf slashed its feathered body and the bird fell weakened to the ground.

Its trainer called the pokemon back and all eyes turned to Miles and his jigglypuff.

"Uhh…"

Maki took advantage of his wavering. "Tackle!"

"Pincer with another headbutt, eevve," Lexa added.

Bulbasaur launched himself at the jigglypuff, slamming hard into the round pokemon. Jigglypuff went flying only to be hit back at the plant pokemon by Lexa's eevee. The juggling match went on for several moments until Miles called jigglypuff back with a dejected sigh.

Putting on a resolve face, the boy pulled out a different pokeball. "Okay, girafarig, it's up to you!"

The long-necked pokemon whinnied and pranced around once freed from the pokeball. Eevee bounced around the battlefield like a silent little puffball while bulbasaur stood stoically by, waiting for a command.

"Bulbasaur, use vine whip!"

"Eevee, headbutt!" Lexa and Maki commanded, their pokemon springing into action immediately.

"Girafarig, confusion!" Miles cried.

Girafarig focused on the Lexa and Maki's pokemon, both the eyes on its face and tail glowing brightly. Maki winced as one of bulbasaur's vines went astray, knocking Lexa's eevee off of her path. Bulbasaur shook his head hard and refocused, his vines whipping back toward the girafarig. Lexa's eevee quickly regained her footing and sped toward the giraffe-like pokemon. The eevee slammed into the pokemon's side as bulbasaur's vines assaulted the girafarig from the other side. The girafarig fell to its knees as bulbasaur and eevee prepared for their next attack. It wasn't necessary though as the girafarig was no longer able to fight.

"Girafarig…return," Miles said, looking disappointed, but then looked up at Lexa and Maki with a grin. "That was awesome! You tore right through us!"

"Bulba! Saur!" announced bulbasaur. Eevee frolicked about, her mouth open in a mute trill and came to a rest against Lexa's ankles.

"Well done," Lexa commended her pokemon, her complement mirrored by Maki.

"About our prize…" Maki reminded the boys.

"Oh, right. Erm…well, you know how Clover Heights is a grass gym, yeah?" Miles continued even thought neither trainer nodded. "Items tend to get dropped all the time in that town, often ending up in the bushes or where ever. Now I have a sister who owes me an explanation." That said, Miles took off down the street, his posse running along behind him.


	6. Rival Battle

Chapter 6: Rival Battle

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

Lexa turned to Maki as the group of boys became a distant horde. "Did you know Clover Heights was a grass gym?"

"No, did you?"

"Nope. Two bits for the price of one…We're awesome," Lexa said with a grin. Hoisting eevee up in her arms, she pet the pokemon's soft fur. Eevee's closed her eyes in contentment, remaining silent.

"Well, grass gym here we come then! …Although I must say I'm not looking forward to that…" Maki said, continuing down the path.

Lexa laughed, "That's because practically all of your pokemon are grass! _I've_ got Kasdeya."

"Well maybe we'll luck out and we'll be able to double battle again!" Maki said hopefully as the two caught their first glance of Clover Heights. "Pokecenter?" Maki asked her companion.

"Pokecenter," Lexa agreed and the two made their way toward the red building near the outskirts of town. They pushed open the doors and walked up to the counter as the woman behind it turned to smile at them.

"Nurse…"

"…Joy?" Maki finished Lexa question, both blinking in confusion.

The woman laughed, "Let me guess, this is your second pokecenter? The women of my family maintain all the pokecenters. Most people find the family resemblance striking."

"I'll say," Maki said and Lexa elbowed her.

"Could you heal our pokemon, please? We're getting ready to challenge the Clover Heights gym," Lexa told the woman.

"Of course," said Joy, taking their pokeballs and placing them in a machine. "Just one moment." Light glowed under each ball and once it faded the nurse picked them up and handed them back to their respective trainers.

"Thank you!" Lexa said with a smile. She grabbed her friend's elbow and led her out the door. Mew trilled from her place on Lexa's head as they walked outside.

"Gym first or the mart?" Lexa asked Maki.

"Gym, naturally," Maki answered instantly. Lexa could not help but grin at her friend's enthusiasm. Looking around, each tried to figure out where the gym was located, a dilemma easily remedied when Maki tugged Lexa's sleeve and pointed.

"Of course it's green…and plant-like," Lexa muttered, following Maki to the gym. They gaped up at the double doors about to walk in when Lexa heard a familiar voice.

"Hoy, Lexa!" An auburn haired boy ran up, familiar cocky look plastered on his face. Skye stopped a few feet from them, pokeball already in hand. "Got a badge yet? No matter, let's battle."

"Maki, so you made it past Newmeadow? So miracles do happen," a familiar voice called and Maki turned to see the dark-haired Hlowan approach.

Maki glared at the boy then looked at Lexa, their eyes locking before looking back at their rivals. "Double battle?" the girl's challenged in unison.

The males glanced at each other then shrugged, "Fine," Hlowan said.

Lexa looked at the eevee in her arms, but her plans were short lived when Marahute released herself from her pokeball.

"Geooo!" the bird screamed in Skye's face and winged high into the sky.

"Tetra!" called the boy, "teach that bird a lesson! Water gun!"

"Squirtle!" announced the blue turtle, appearing in a flash of red. A stream of water issued from Tetra's mouth, striking Marahute forcefully in the underside. The golden pidgeotto shrieked and dove, clearly bent on following her own course…still.

"Cyndaquil!" Hlowan called, throwing his pokeball out.

Maki sighed and thought through her pokemon…everyone was grass except pidgey—who Maki seriously doubted would listen—and Rao. "Go Rao!" Maki called, the eevee leapt from her shoulder to face off against Hlowan's cyndaquil.

"Cynaquil, use ember on that eevee!" Hlowan commanded.

"Rao, agility and headbutt the cyndaquil!" Maki commanded, after all, it had worked well during their last battle…

Rao gave a cry of acknowledgment then leapt into action, dodging the cydaquil's flaming attack and charging at the pokemon from its side.

Pidgeotto swooped low, striking the squirtle with outstretched talons before soaring high, virtually ignoring the fiery battle between Rao and cyndaquil. With an angry cry, squirtle readied another water gun and sprayed the bird pokemon as soon as she flew low again. Thrown off course and lilting, pidgeotto took longer to recover as she winged upwards again.

"Marahute! Try gust!" Lexa attempted to command her wayward bird.

"Pidgeoo!" came the distant response. After getting another face full of water, the bird whirled around at about eye level with Lexa and created a massive gust of wind with powerful beats of her wings. Forced to shield her eyes against the gale and flying debris, Tetra was momentarily left prone.

Seeing that Maki was too busy with her own problems to take advantage of the situation, Lexa crossed her fingers before asking Marahute to attack again. "Quick attack, now!"

"Geeaa!" screeched the bird, instantly striking the turtle pokemon with wings, talons, and body mass.

"Withdraw!" Skye ordered. The squirtle retreated back into her shell, completely blocking any other physical attacks by the pidgeotto. Frustrated, Marahute managed to hook a claw in the shell and took off with the pokemon, slowly rising due to the extra burden.

Surprised but grateful for Marahute's obedience, Lexa let the pokemon do as she pleased. Perhaps – eventually – she and the bird would come to an understanding. Fully intending to recall Marahute as soon as possible, Lexa shielded her eyes as the two pokemon became distant specks.

"Rao, tackle the cyndaquil! But make sure to watch out for those flames!"

"Eevee!" Rao accented with a nod and dashed toward the cyndaquil.

"Cyndaquil, ember!" Hlowan commanded.

The fire pokemon blew fiery embers at the approaching eevee, but Rao danced out of the way and landed his tackle, sending cyndaquil onto its side as Rao jumped back then circled around for another attack. Rao began to rush in while the cyndaquil was still off balance when a strange sounded enered the battlefield, quickly getting louder.

"…urrrrRRRTTTTTLLLEEE!"

Rao skidded to a stop then leapt back and where he had just been was now a very unconscious squirtle. Marahute was circling above, looking very proud of herself.

"Tetra, return," Skye said, looking vaguely annoyed.

"Marahute, return," Lexa also commanded. The bird pokemon looked like she was going to disobey for a moment, but after another look from Lexa she decided it wasn't such a good idea and disappeared in a flash of red light and a loud caw.

Lexa thought for a moment about which pokemon she should call out next. Mew purred in her ear, but made no inclination to act, and her gaze slid to Maki's battle. Although Rao was fast, Hlowan's cyndaquil had a fighting chance, and Maki only had grass type pokemon after her eevee that she could reliably use.

Skye seemed to be waiting for her choice, so Lexa unclipped a pokeball from her belt and hefted it into the air. "Horsea, help Rao with a watergun!"

"Sea!" affirmed the blue water pokemon as she materialized on the field. A jet of water sent the bounding cyndaquil spinning away from Rao. Lexa glanced at Skye and suddenly felt the clutch of uncertainty at his facial expression.

"Bellsprout, go!"

"Sprout, sprout," muttered the plant pokemon, rooting itself to the ground as it appeared.

Type advantage, Lexa thought, her plan suddenly backfiring. Well, hopefully horsea could take out the cyndaquil before things got too out of hand. Rao had weakened it enough…

"Smokescreen!" Lexa called her pokemon. The horsea effortlessly obliged, filling the area with a thick, dark smoke.

Maki assessed the situation, knowing they needed to take out the cyndaquil quickly then focus on Skye's pokemon. While they still had the cover of the horsea's smokescreen. "Rao! Headbutt!" Maki commanded after a glance to Lexa.

Lexa nodded and commanded, "horsea, watergun!" The horsea sent a stream of water hurtling toward the cyndaquil, Rao charging along just under the stream. The water put out cyndaquil's flames and Rao took his chance to land a headbutt. The cyndaquil was hurtled back and when the smokescreen cleared it was revealed the cyndaquil had fainted. Hlowan recalled the pokemon and grasped a new pokeball.

"Go ralts!" Hlowan cried and the pokemon appeared in a flash of light. Meanwhile, Skye wasn't wasting any time.

"Bellsprout! Leech seed the horsea!" Skye commanded.

"Sprout," the pokemon responded and sent seeds careening across the field and to the ground around the horsea, vine-like plants immediately sprouting and twining around the horsea, impeding its movement.

"Quick! Vine whip while it's down!" Skye added.

Lexa watched as energy slowly drained from horsea. Refusing to give in, the small pokemon blasted bellsprout's oncoming vines from her caged position.

"Smokescreen, aim for ralts!" Lexa told her downed pokemon, figuring she could at least help Rao out before her pokemon fainted. Bellsprout continued to strike at the trapped horsea and for a time she was capable of deflecting the worst, however, as time dragged on, horsea's attacks became weaker and weaker.

"Now absorb." Horsea looked as though she was about to faint as the bellsprout stole more energy on top of leech seed's effect.

With almost no way for horsea win this battle, Lexa recalled the pokemon, proud of the small pokemon's aid, but not wanting to force the pokemon too far. "Well done, horsea, come back."

Skye grinned and directed bellsprout at Rao, double teaming the poor eevee while Lexa did a mental inventory.

Rao glanced back and forth between the bellsprout and ralts, as the bellsprout sent a vine whip attack his way and Hlowan commanded the ralts to use confusion.

Rao dodged the vines as best he could but one connected and knocked him down, and then the ralts confusion landed as well, the combination of attacks greatly weakened Rao and he struggled to stand but failed. Maki quickly recalled him.

Lexa winced, it had all happened too quickly for her to help. "Kasdeya, go!" she commanded, the charmander appearing in a flash of light.

Maki thought through her own pokemon, and decided to send out oddish.

"Char!" Kasdeya announced, his black skin shining in the light. The charmander saw the bellsprout and without direction from Lexa, the pokemon sent a blaze of ember at the plant pokemon. The bellsprout squealed and uprooted itself as it caught fire.

"Char!" the charmander repeated and torched Skye's bellsprout again, thoroughly charring the plant pokemon to unconsciousness.

Forced to withdraw his pokemon, Skye returned bellsprout's pokeball to his belt, looking dour. "No meowth?" he asked, fingering two different pokeballs.

Mew trilled happily and closed her eyes contentedly. Lexa shook her head, "Kasdeya's my starter."

"Char!" Kasdeya affirmed, glaring at Skye.

Hlowan and Maki's battle continued on the side. "Ralts, confusion on the oddish!"

Vanessae cried unhappily when ralts' attack hit. As soon as oddish recovered, Maki ordered, "Sleep powder!"

The ralts sneezed as a cloud of silver powder enveloped the psychic pokemon.

"Kasdeya!" Lexa called, pointing at the ralts. Embers flew over Vanessae's leaf stalks and exploded in ralts' face, the psychic pokemon shrieking and falling back.

"Vanessae! Finish off the ralts with a tackle!" Maki commanded and the oddish was quick to obey, successfully knocking out the ralts. Maki grinned, the other two trains only had one pokemon left each.

Hlowan scowled and recalled his fainted ralts then threw out his last pokemon, "Kakuna, go!"

Skye meanwhile had chosen his next pokemon as well, "Electrike!" he said, throwing the pokeball.

Kasdeya and Vanessae sized up their new opponents as Lexa and Maki glanced at each other then nodded. "Vanessae, use sleep powder on their entire party!" Maki commanded.

"Kasdeya, ember on the kakuna!" Lexa added.

The oddish leaned forward, the fine powder spreading over the field and to their opponents. Kasdeya wound up and released a burst of embers that flew toward the kakuna. The powder in the air around the attack sizzled before the embers landed on their target. Lexa and Maki glanced at each other again and immediately got an idea.

"Vanessae! Cover the field with as much sleep powder as you can!" Maki commanded. The oddish quickly followed her orders.

"Electrike, spark the charmander!" Skye commanded as Hlowan ordered his kakuna to use poison sting on Vanessae.

Kasdeya winced as sparks danced over him skin for a second then shook it off, waiting for his trainer's command to attack. Oddish stumbled slightly at the poison sting but soon was expelling more clouds of sleep powder over the field.

"Alright! Vanessae, fall back now!" Maki said and Lexa ordered Kasdeya's attack.

"Use ember on the cloud Kasdeya!" Lexa commanded, and the charmander gladly obliged.

FOOOooommm!


	7. Mason

Chapter 7: Mason 3

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

Lexa dusted some soot off her clothes and a grin spread to her face when she saw Kasdeya brushing himself off in the same exact manner. Electrike was lying on its side, eyes closed and its fur charred black. A shiny black husk lay some feet away from the battlefield; Lexa assumed it was the kakuna.

The gym doors burst open and an older boy tumbled out. "There was an explosion and the whole building shook, and…holy cow."

They all stared in silence only broken when Skye held up a pokeball and recalled his burnt electrike, all the while watching the newcomer. Hlowan did the same.

"Are you all here for a gym battle?" the older boy finally asked, looking from pokemon to trainers.

"Well…we were," Lexa started and glanced at Maki.

"But then there was a bit of a side track," finished Maki.

"Still want a fight? Run to the pokecenter real fast and I'll take you on." He turned to go back into the gym, and then popped his head out the door again. "By the way, I'm Mason." And with that, the gym leader vanished into the building.

Lexa and Maki sent each other identical looks after the gym leader disappeared back into his gym.

"Pokecenter," Lexa said.

"Now," Maki agreed and the two headed off without even a second glance at their rivals. Skye and Hlowan glanced at each other before scoffing and making their own way to the pokecenter, trying as hard as they could to not look like they were headed to the same place. Heaven forbid someone would mistake them for friends.

Lexa and Maki burst into the pokecenter and cried in unison, "Heal our pokemon please!!" The nurse Joy behind the counter blinked at the two girls' and outstretched pokeballs, then slowly a smile slide across her face and her eyes sparked in amusement.

"You met our gym leader Mason, yes?" she asked knowingly.

The girl's blushed faintly in response but didn't say anything. Nurse Joy chuckled and took the occupied pokeballs from Lexa and Maki and placed them into the nearby machine. The machine hummed as the doors opened once more, Skye and Hlowan entering.

The machine finished humming and beeped. Nurse Joy removed the pokeballs and handed them back to their owners. "Good luck with the gym girls! And don't get too distracted!" she told them as they hurried out of the pokecenter once more, hardly sparing a glance toward their rivals.

Each grabbed a door and pulled it open, entering the gym in unison. The place was well lit with what appeared to be glass tiles for a roof and a wide expanse cleared for battling by the looks of the lines on the floor.

"Grass, right?" Lexa asked, almost breathless. Maki nodded. "Good, then this should be a piece of cake…so long as Marahute doesn't release herself at will again."

"Hey, that was quick," a cheerful voice said from above. The two girls looked up to see the boy from earlier walking along an intricate catwalk. He paused at a balcony and leapt down to land lightly on his feet. Maki and Lexa stared, hopefully with their mouths closed.

"So, you both ready? I'll use four pokemon, you each get two. Sound fair?"

They nodded their heads eagerly.

"Good. Now let's begin." Somewhere in the gym music began to play. "Sneasel, poochyena, go!" Two pokemon appeared in the middle of the gym.

Maki blinked rapidly…those weren't grass type pokemon. Lexa beside her seemed to be having the same thought. Maki attempted to shake it off and rethought about her pokemon—so this wouldn't be as easy as they originally thought.

"Kasdeya go!" Lexa called and Maki snapped out of her train of thought, hand going to the pokeballs at her belt. She grasped one and thought _here goes nothing_ before tossing it.

"Rao, go!" she cried, hoping he at least would have a better chance then her other pokemon.

The black charmander materialized in the center, across from the poochyena and looked down at the small eevee that ran up beside him. Lexa watched her pokemon nod ever so slightly and then take battle stance.

"Sneasel, quick attack the eevee," Mason began.

"Kasdeya, ember, quick!" Lexa countered, before Maki had time to call an order to Rao. The charmander leapt in front of the eevee, mouth open to release a stream of flame at the rushing sneasel. The dark pokemon fell back, rubbing the burning coals from its eyes and looking a little worse for wear.

"Quick attack the sneasel, Rao!" Maki called to her pokemon and Rao charged forward.

"Poochyena, sand attack!" The dog pokemon turned on the spot and kicked clouds of sand from the gym floor. Rao cried out when he received a face full of grit, but the plucky pokemon continued through with his attack and slammed into sneasel's side before falling back to paw sand from his face.

"Poochyena, bite the eevee! Sneasel, follow it with a quick attack!" Mason commanded.

"Kasdeya, ember!" Lexa said as Maki cried, "Rao, look out!"

Kasdeya's attack knocked the sneasel off its path but poochyena's bite landed. Rao collapsed for a moment but quickly jumped back to his feet.

"You alright, Rao?" Maki asked.

"Eevee!" Rao responded.

"Alright! Then headbutt the sneasel now!"

"Kasdeya, ember!" Lexa commanded at the same time. Rao dashed underneath the stream of ember Kasdeya sent toward the sneasel, knocking the weakened pokemon flat on its back after it was burned by the embers. Mason recalled the burned pokemon as it more or less unable to fight any longer.

A second dog pokemon appeared in sneasel's place, hackles raised and ready to fight.

"Okay houndour, let's see what you've got, and bite the charmander. Poochyena, follow through with a tackle, first to eevee, then to the charmander." Both pokemon rushed forward simultaneously, forcing a rapid decision on both Maki's and Lexa's part.

"Smokescreen!" Lexa yelled to Kasdeya who obeyed without hesitation.

"Agility!" said Maki, nanoseconds behind her friend.

The four pokemon disappeared into the smokescreen issuing from Kasdeya. The three trainers waited with bated breath for the smoke to clear. Maki winced as said smoke dissipated. Mason's houndour held a limp Rao in its mouth. A second glance showed Rao hadn't gone down without a fight; Mason's poochyena stumbled back to its feet and shook itself, recovering from a collision with Maki's eevee.

"Rao, return!" Maki called, the eevee disappearing in a beam of red light. Maki thought through her remaining pokemon and sighed, she really needed to catch some pokemon that weren't grass…

Maki took a deep breath and threw her next pokeball. "Go bulbasaur!" she cried, said pokemon appearing in a beam of light.

"Kasdeya, cover bulbasaur!" Lexa called to her pokemon. The black charmander nodded and took a stance back on the field, eyeing the houndour.

"Poochyena, tackle charmander and follow through with a bite to the bulbasaur. Houndour, ember the bulbasaur!" Mason ordered.

Lexa heard Maki swear softly beside her and slam her hand to her head. Not quite sure how to help, Lexa watched the battle unfold.

Kasdeya jumped next to the bulbasaur and shoved the pokemon aside and away from the flames issuing from houndour's mouth. The plant pokemon tumbled a few feet before rolling to a halt. Kasdeya brushed himself off and appeared unfazed by the fire attack.

"Saur?" the pokemon asked, feet trying to find purchase.

Meanwhile, the poochyena dashed around the field and slammed into Kasdeya, knocking the pokemon to his knees before running at the slowly recovering bulbasaur.

"Vine whip!" Maki finally ordered to her pokemon. Twin vines ribboned towards the charging dog and snapped across the pokemon's nose and shoulders. Recovered, Kasdeya ran over to Maki's bulbasaur and looked from the grass pokemon to Mason's pokemon. The charmander nudged bulbasaur with a foot and grinned. Picking up the pokemon (much to bulbasaur's surprise), Kasdeya sent the plant pokemon rolling at the two dogs.

"Vine whip both of them!" Maki called, seeing Kasdeya's apparent plan.

Vines spun out of the rolling pokemon, snapping across the dog pokemons' snouts and backs, causing the poochyena to release a loud yip.

As the bulbasaur slowed to a slightly dizzy stop, Lexa she knew she needed to get rid of the houndour as soon as possible if the bulbasaur was to remain in fighting shape.

"Kasdeya! Use tackle on the houndour and follow it up with scratch!" Lexa called.

The dragon pokemon rushed into action, slamming into the dog pokemon then raking its claws across the houndour's back. A quick lashing vine whip from bulbasaur sapped the remainder of the houndour's strength.

"Houndour, return," Mason commanded, but he was smiling. "Absol, you're up."

The pokemon leapt from the platform above, landing lightly on all four feet. Maki swallowed hard. She really _really_ needed to expand her party types.

"Absol, use swords dance followed by a quick attack to the charmander and finish with razor wind," Mason ordered. "Poochyena, tackle the charmander and then bite the bulbasaur!"

"Kasydeya use ember on anything that comes near!" Lexa called, hoping that bulbasaur would not get caught in the crossfire. Absol glowed as transparent swords clashed over its head before vanishing and the pokemon leapt forward, faster than Kasdeya could react. The charmander fell to his knees, unable to brace himself for poochyena's attack. Mason's absol skidded to a halt and spun around so that it was behind both Maki and Lexa's pokemon. Clawing at the ground, absol summoned a powerful gust of wind that tore across the battlefield and slashed into both Kasdeya and bulbasaur.

With Kasdeya looking too weak to stand, Lexa tried recalling the pokemon. "Kasdeya, come back." She held up the pokeball, but the charmander shook his head.

"Char!" the pokemon replied.

"Kaz, you did well, but please return."

Relenting, Kasdeya nodded briefly and disappeared in a beam of red light. Lexa thought through her list of pokemon and settled on eevee. She swiftly pulled the pokeball from her belt and called out the pokemon before one of her other free-willed pokemon decided to take charge.

"Eevee, go!" The little pokemon appeared on the field, tail held high and mouth open in a silent mewl.

Maki looked over the battlefield and nodded, maybe they could do this after all.

"Bulbasaur, use vinewhip on both pokemon!" Maki commaded.

"Eevee! Agility and tackle the poochyena!" Lexa commanded nearly simultaneously.

"Bulba!" the plant pokemon cried and leaned forward, sending vines whipping toward the opposing pokemon. Lexa's eevee ducked under the vines and as the poochyena was distracted by the vines smacking it in the snout the eevee knocked hard into its side, knocking back and off its feet.

The poochyena did not stand again and Mason recalled the pokemon. Lexa, Maki, and each of their pokemon turned to face their final opponent, the absol.

"Absol! Razor wind on both pokemon!" Mason commanded.

The absol leapt up in the air and send the attack careening toward the bulbasaur and eevee.

"Eevee, agility!" Lexa commanded while Maki told bulbasaur to prepare himself. The eevee leapt to the side quickly and the bulbasaur lowered himself to the ground, taking the hit with the smallest amount of exposed flesh possible.

The attack ended and Lexa was quick to return the attack. "Eevee! Agility and quick attack!"

"You alright bulbasaur?" Maki asked her pokemon, the plant pokemon pushed himself back up and shook his head to clear it then nodded, "Saur!" he cried.

"Alright, then razor leaf and vine whip that absol!" Maki commanded with a grin.

Lexa's eevee dashed under bulbasaur's razor leaves and vines and hurled toward the absol that was trying to avoid the brunt of bulbasaur's attacks. The absol was more or less cornered by the vines coming in from either side and when the eevee seemed to appear from nowhere and slam into it the absol was sent skidding back a number of feet and then get hit in the face with a razor leaf. Eevee and bulbasaur leapt back before their owners, preparing for the absol's next attack.

Absol looked back at Mason who nodded. The larger pokemon leered at the two pokemon, its mouth twisted wickedly and chattered. Falling for the taunt, eevee puffed up into a giant furball, Maki's bulbasaur seemed simply put off.

"Now swords dance and quick attack!" Mason said, taking every advantage he could get at this point.

Powered up, the absol leapt forward again, faster than the eye could follow.

"Agility! Eevee!" Lexa called as Maki pressed her pokemon to use razor leaf. Both seemed to hope that at least one leaf would hit the fast pokemon. Eevee jumped into action before the absol struck, a puffy blur dashing around the field. The absol skidded to a halt when bulbasaur unleashed a whirling cloud of cutting leaves. Eyes squeezed closed, the disaster pokemon took the hit and looked a bit worse for wear at the end of the attack.

Eevee circled around and came charging back, initiating a headbutt without being told.

Seeing this, Mason ordered, "Absol, double team!"

Rammed by eevee, the absol staggered, too slow to dodge eevee's sudden attack. However, this did not stop the pokemon from flickering into two. Twin absols loped forward and wove back and forth, making it impossible to tell the real one. Talons glowed as both images readying a slash attack as ordered by Mason.

"Vine whip both of them!" Maki ordered bulbasaur.

"Saur!" the plant pokemon affirmed. Vines ripped through twin pokemon and one image faded.

"There, eevee! Quick attack the real one!" Lexa ordered as the absol continued to charge the bulbasaur.

Building up speed, Lexa's eevee tore after the absol. In mid lope the absol double-teamed again and suddenly launched forward, flying through the air to pounce the braced bulbasaur. Eevee came racing from the side and slammed into one absol. The fake continued the attack with no effect as the real one went spinning across the gym floor.

"Bulbasaur, razor leaf now," Maki commanded calmly as their quarry already in prime position to take the attack straight to the face. The leaves launched from bulbasaur's back and straight into the weakened absol, too weary to avoid the attack.

"Eevee! Finish it off with agility and headbutt!" Lexa commanded.

"Double team!" Mason quickly told his absol. Lexa's eevee burst straight through the fake image and connected solidly with the real absol, knocking it off its feet and rendering it too weak to fight.

"Absol return," Mason said then smiled at the two girls. "Congratulations, you've earned the Clover Heights badge! Great battle guys, it's been awhile since I've had a double battle."

Both Lexa and Maki simply nodded, eyes shinning at the praise and the excitement over winning their second gym battle.

Meanwhile the doors behind them opened as a grumpy-looking Hlowan and an annoyed looking Skye entered, ready for each of their own gym battles. Something told Maki they had no intention of double battling.

Mason crossed the gym floor as Maki and Lexa recalled their pokemon, presenting the girls with their shiny new badges.

Mason handed each of the girls their badges and Lexa found the courage to speak up.

Mason looked over at the two boys, saw their glowering faces and turned back to Maki and Lexa with a wide grin, "Of course! That's a great idea, here," Mason took Lexa's then Maki's phones, inputting his number to each. Across the room, both rival's eyes narrowed in unison.

Trying not to squeal out loud, they both thanked the gym leader and crossed the floor to the doors, passing both disgruntled boys.

"Oh, wait you two, Maki, Lexa. Halafae! Get them the dark balls sitting on my bed." An affirmative bark came from overhead. "You two are heading north from here, yeah?" The girls nodded. "Well, I recommend visiting the lake up there. It's a great place." Mason seemed to be alluding to something, but neither trainer had a chance to ask.

"You two ready?" Mason called to Hlowan and Skye.

"We're not–" Hlowan began.

"But–" tried Skye.

Mason didn't listen to their complaints. "Two each, let's go! I'm using four." Two pokemon appeared on the gym floor in a blaze of red light. A dark eevee and a sabeleye took a ready stance, each awaiting orders.

A dark pokemon leap from the catwalk and bounded around the perimeter of the gym towards Maki and Lexa. The houndoom trotted to a halt and dropped the special pokeballs at their feet. Lexa took one look at the pokemon and realized that they would not have had a chance against this one – it was too powerful at their level. Houndoom nudged empty hands for a brief scratch before ushering them out the door.


	8. Romp Through The Marsh

Chapter 8: Romp Through the Marsh

PokePlot

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

Once outside, Maki and Lexa high fived, elated. After a brief stop at the pokecenter to heal their pokemon, they unrolled their map and tried to decide on a route.

"Frozen Puddle is next, it looks like," Lexa said after staring at the map.

"And there's the lake." Maki pointed to the giant spot close to the city. "Looks like there're two cities by the lake."

"So lake first then?" Lexa asked.

"Of course! Did you hear the way Mason suggested it!?" Maki responded.

"…Well can't argue with that, let's go!" Lexa started off in the direction of the lake without waiting for Maki.

"O-oi! Wait up!" Maki called, jogging to catch up to her friend. Rao chirped from Maki's shoulder at the sudden movement, but quickly settled back as Maki caught up to Lexa.

As the two turned a bend in the path, Clover Heights began to disappear from sight, hidden by the trees growing up around the path, denser the farther the girls continued. Maki reached into her back and smiled.

"Celebii, come on out," she said and the legendary pokemon appeared and did a cheerful summersault in the air before gliding back and forth the path ahead, taking advantage of its time out of a pokeball. Mew poked its head up out of Lexa's hood.

"Mew!" it cried cheerfully then launched into the air, flitting back and forth with celebii.

The walk was pleasant. Everyone was in an uplifted mood, and Lexa spent most of her time contemplating on a name for her eevee as the little pokemon bounced along at her heels. However, her thoughts were interrupted when a high squeal split the air.

A tiny caterpillar pokemon fell from the tree boughs and lay dazed on the path before them. Maki looked at Lexa and then back at the caterpie. A sharp squawk came from a diving pidgey as it flew after its prey.

Maki's eyes widened and she leapt forward, scoping the weakened caterpie up off the ground and turning so it was her own back that was exposed to the diving pidgey and not the caterpie.

The pigey squawked again and broke off its dive messily, its wings hitting Maki in the back briefly before pulling away again. Seemingly feeling it was now too much trouble, the pidgey winged away, giving up on the caterpie.

Maki looked down at the caterpie in her arms and asked, "You alright?" The caterpie just stared at her. "…caterpie?" Maki asked again, concerned. The caterpie just continued to stare. "Well…you should be safe now. Take care," Maki set the caterpie down and gave it a gently pat then hitched her bag back on her shoulder before turning to continue on her way with Lexa. The two had only taken a couple of steps before Lexa glanced back and laughed.

"Hey Maki, I think you have an admirer." Maki looked back—the caterpie was following closely on her heels.

Lexa laughed again, "At least you'll have a bit more variation in your team."

Their elation was short lived when mew sprang to the ground, shape whirling into an angry meowth, complete with an arched back and gaping mouth full of needle teeth.

Both trainers spun to see several people stepping across their path.

"Feisty little cat you've got," one proclaimed, hefting a pokeball and brushing a stray hair from her eyes.

"It's okay meowth, come back," Lexa called to the pokemon. Mew hissed and backed up to Lexa, ears flattened.

"Hey, you're the ones that took the horsea," said another.

"That was fast," Maki muttered to Lexa, "You aren't even the same group. How'd you know?" she asked the threatening trainers.

"Technology, my dears," said the first trainer. "It is a wonderful thing. Now prepare yourselves."

"Caterpie!" the caterpie cried, throwing itself in front of Maki, trying its hardest to look threatening.

One snorted while a nasty smirk, "Oh how cute, a caterpie. How old are you, 8?" the trainer asked, voice dripping in sarcasm.

The first raised a hand, cutting off her companion with a commanding look. The second girl quickly shut her mouth but didn't look happy about it. The first girl then signaled that the noisy trainer and the other remaining trainer should step forward. Both did so, the noisy one with a smirk, tossing her pokeball up and catching it with a smug look.

"Houndour, go," she said, looking at the caterpie with a cruel grin. Maki hurried forward and scooped up the caterpie before taking a couple steps back, shielding the pokemon.

"Not yet caterpie," she told the pokemon in her arms then looked back at their opponents with hard eyes. "Rao, go!" she continued, the eevee leaping from her shoulder and to the ground, ready for battle. At the same time, Lexa called her eevee forward, the pokemon bounding up to her brother and mimicking him.

"Carnivine! Go!" the other opponent called, speaking up for the first time. The plant pokemon appeared in a flash of red.

Seeing all the players on the field, Lexa realized that Kasdeya would have been the better choice, but her eevee needed the experience. Without having to look at each other, Lexa initiated the battle with, "Eevee, use agility followed by a quick attack!" While Maki ordered an agility followed by a headbutt.

Both eevees sprang into action at speeds almost too rapid to see, weaving in and out for further confusion. Before either opposing could react, a simultaneous eevee attack slammed into both prone pokemon.

"Recover with an ember, houndour!" cried the noisy trainer. Her houndour shook itself and growled, readying its attack.

"Bind the nearest one, carnivine!" said her partner. Carnvine's vines snaked forward to chase Lexa's nimble eevee.

Rao called to his sister and both maneuvered to flank the houndour. Twin eevees moved in unision in a quick attack, and Lexa's jumped the chasing vines to headbutt the houndour, Rao landing a solid headbutt in houndour's other side.

The houndour released a whine and collapsed to its side, quickly being recalled by an angry looking trainer. "You'll regret that!" she said, "Go machop!"

Meanwhile, carnivine's bind was catching up to Lexa's eevee. The vines snaked after her nimble legs and the eevee leapt up, evading the binding vines with little bounces.

"Machop, low kick the eevee!" the noisy trainer commanded.

"Rao, just avoid the machop's attack and keep hitting it!" Maki commanded her eevee who was quick to duck under the machop's low kick and headbutt it straight to its side then quickly darting back out once again, preparing to repeat the maneuver. Lexa's eevee, bounded away from the vines and dashed to the machop, hitting it in the back with a quick attack.

The carnivine's trainer watched the machop slowly has his strength depleted by the eevees as her companion shouted in anger. "Too fast," she murmured to herself then changed her pokemon's commands, "Carnivine, vine whip!"

Multiple vines whipped through the air towards both hopping eevees. Lexa's let out a silent cry and darted off, eventually coming to run in an agility-spiked circle around the carnvine. The plant pokemon's vines chased the tiny pokemon around and around, and soon enough the carnvine's advantage turned into a massive mess of tangled vines. Rao had split to go the opposite way, fleeing around machop and causing a wayward vine to trip up the fighting pokemon.

The carnvine let out a pathetic sigh and looked to its trainer, too tangled to move. With a nod, its trainer recalled the bound pokemon and waited silently. Lexa's eevee immediately ran over to help her twin, flanking the machop.

There was a matching glint in Maki and Lexa's eyes as they commanded, "Agility and headbutt!" of their eevees in unison. The machop didn't stand a chance; it was sent hurtling head over heels, no longer able to fight. The noisy trainer recalled her pokemon and the final trainer stepped forward, a pokeball in her hand and a smile on her face.

"Mightyena, Vibrava, go!" she said calmly the pokemon appearing.

Maki and Lexa glanced at each other and swallowed. "EEVEE SAND ATTACK!" they yelled and the two complied, kicking up enough sand to cover the battlefield then Maki and Lexa launched themselves forward, grabbed their eevees, then began to run back the way they had come as fast as they could, dashing off into the trees in hopes to lose their opponents.

Maki glanced back and gave a surprised squeal, "They're still following!"

Lexa sighed and grasped a ball on her belt, "MARAHUTE!" she cried and the golden bird burst forth with a loud shriek. "Distract!" she cried at the bird, never pausing in her running. The bird gave her an affronted look for a moment before Lexa tapped her two badges. The bird almost seemed to roll its eyes then went screaming at the pokemon and trainers crashing after them.

Soon the noises died down behind them as Maki and Lexa continued to put distance between themselves and their opponents. After they could no longer hear anything behind them and they had long since doubled back to continue on toward the lake and Frozen Puddle, they came to a stop.

Maki leaned over, Rao grasping her shoulder tight as she grasped her knees and panted.

"Why is it so warm? And wet?" Lexa asked, looking just as tired, and picking her feet up from the muck below their shoes. "I thought it was supposed to be _Frozen Puddle_. Where are we anyway?"

"Err…" Maki responded, looking about herself and gently dislodging the clinging caterpie from her arm and settling it more comfortably into her grasp.

"Tsk, he said it was Frozen Puddle. What is all this? It's like a _marsh_. And where's the lake, he said—" Lexa sighed, "It's not his fault."

Maki sighed, "Lexa…I think we're lost." Maki was looking at her map but couldn't locate any marshes anywhere near Frozen Puddle or the lake.

"Geez…" Lexa started then paused and grinned, "We should call him."

Maki's face split into an identical grin, already pulling out her phone and hitting dial. The phone rang in her ear for a moment then Mason's voice picked up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Hi!"

"Yes?" Mason asked.

"Hi…this is Maki," Maki said as Lexa smacked herself with the palm of her hand.

There was a chuckle on the other end of the phone, "I know, my phone told me."

"Oh…so, Lexa and I were talking…and we're pretty sure that…er, we're lost."

"Lost? Isn't there a path?" Mason asked, sounding a little confused.

"Well…yeah, but you see this group of trainers that we caught abusing pokemon this one time crossed us and we were pretty outmatched but we got away but now we're…kinda lost."

"Are you guys okay?" Mason asked, sounding concerned, then suddenly he yelled away from the phone, "Mightyena, flamethower!" There were loud sounds of battle and another trainer on the other end of the line that Maki wasn't sure how she had not noticed right away.

"Naw, we're fine," Maki told him, just as Marahute returned to Lexa, looking quite proud of herself, "Just lost."

"Well that's good to hear. So, what are your surroundings like, I—Mightyena, bite the squirtle! Murkrow faint attack the cyndaquil! Sorry, your surroundings?" Mason said.

"Well there's a tree and some grass and—just a sec I'll put you on speakerphone…Lexa, Mason wants to know our surroundings."

"Oh, well there's this tree, and its really warm and kinda marshy," Lexa supplied.

"Ah, and there's some pokemon over there! Can't quite tell what they are. Hmm, they're running at us now, looks like they're. Oh they're primeapes. I see now—We'll have to call you back Mason." Maki started then hit the off button on her phone as the primeapes came screaming toward them.

Maki and Lexa took more stable stances, grasping pokeballs and throwing them forward.

"Venasae!" cried Maki as Lexa called, "Kasdeya!"

"Char!" Kasdeya exclaimed, appearing in the muddy goop and shaking his arms out. Vanasae seemed to be much more at home with the marsh.

"Priiiime ape!" called the angry monkeys, leaping into the fray. Kasdeya bounded backwards, ducking and dodging a primeape's fists.

"Fight back, Kasdeya, ember!" Lexa called. Flames leapt from the charmander's mouth, hitting the charging pokemon straight in the face. Enraged, the primeape attacked with more vigor.

"Sleep powder, Vanasae!" Maki ordered in an attempt to slow the swarming monkey pokemon. Glittering silver dust flew from oddish's crown of leaves, making one primeape sneeze, but otherwise the group continued to rush forward.

"This is not working so well," Lexa said to Maki and flinched when Kasdeya took a hard blow. "Kaz…" The fire pokemon had fallen to his knees. "Try smokescreen!"

Kasdeya exhaled copious amounts of smoke to cover the battlefield.

"Vanasae! Take advantage and absorb as much as you can from these guys!"

"Ooddish!" affirmed the plant pokemon as she disappeared into the haze.

When the smoke cleared, several weakened primeapes struggled to their feet, drained by oddish's attack. A third was locked in combat with Kasdeya. The dragon pokemon was back on his feet and held the primeape's fists with his claws.

"Char!" grunted the pokemon, eyes glowing. The glow spread to the rest of charmander's body and the pokemon suddenly became enveloped in a white light. The blaze vanished to show a larger charmeleon grappling with the primeape.

"Char!" Kasdeya snarled in a deeper tone. His talons shone metallic and slashed across primeape's face. Metal claw was not very effective, but worked well enough to shove the fighting pokemon back.

Kasdeya called to Vanasae and waved his arms in something that vaguely resembled an explosion. Oddish nodded and began expelling large amounts of sleep powder.

Once the enemy primeapes were doused quite fully in sleep powder Kasdeya released a long stream of ember straight at the hazy cloud, igniting an explosion that rocked the ground they stood on.

Maki blinked and coughed, clearing her lungs of smoke, Lexa doing the same. The smoke cleared and the primeapes were all strewn unconscious across the ground, a small crater in the ground at the epicenter of the explosion. Maki phone buzzed in her hand.

She slipped her phone open, "Hello! Sorry about hanging up on you," Maki apologized to the person on the other line.

"Are you guys alright?" Mason asked in a concerned tone.

"It's fine, no worries, we took care of it."

There was brief silence followed by, "You blew something up, didn't you?" Mason asked in a flat tone, somehow guessing from the sound of Maki's voice. Maki laughed nervously.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. Anyway, would you by any chance be able to point us in the right direction?"

Mason sighed on the other end, "I'm starting to wonder if maybe I should be more concerned for your enemies. Which by the way reminds me—your boys' finished their battle. Not all that talented at double battling I'm afraid. You might want to give them a few pointers—"

Maki turned red. "They. Are. _Not_. Ours," she managed to get out.

"Oooh really," Mason began but Maki cut him off, still dark red, Lexa watching her face curiously.

"Directions, please?" Maki asked.

Mason chuckled, clearly amused by the whole situation. "Let me get this straight. You're in a marsh, it's kind of warm, you got attacked by pokemon, and there's a tree. Did I leave anything out?"

"Uhh," Maki replied, at a loss.

"You need to head north. Regardless of where you are, you'll hit a road that will take you where you need to go. Enjoy the marsh!" And with that Mason hung up, leaving Maki with a call-ended screen.

Lexa looked expectantly at Maki while holding her eevee off the ground. Mew perched on her head, happily purring.

"North, he said go north." Maki continued to stare at her phone as though expecting it to ring.

"Well then, what are we waiting around for? Let's move before more of those crazy monkeys show up," Lexa said, heading off in what she hoped was a northward direction.

"Mew!" chirped the cat on her head.

"What?" Lexa asked the pokemon.

"Mew! Mewmewmew mew!" Mew pointed with a paw.

"Oh, right." Lexa turned in mid stride and looked back at Maki with a sheepish grin. "That way is north."

Shaken out of her reverie, Maki picked up her oddish and followed after her friend, shaking her head. Mason's direction proved accurate, granted it took far longer than either expected. Both were grateful that the swarms of pokemon they saw stayed distant.

Maki sighed contentedly, stepping back onto the path they had lost. Luckily the lake they had been searching for was even in sight now.

"Alright, only a brief side trip!" Maki said as Lexa rolled her eyes.

"Yeah…brief."

Maki and Lexa approached the lake, smiling in relief.


	9. Something About a Lake

Chapter 9: Something About a Lake

Pokeplot

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

"Made it. Wow, it's huge. Really pretty too," Lexa commented, looking out over the water; the opposite shore was far away.

Maki grinned and was about to respond when she felt a strange, almost filtering sensation in her brain. The hair on the back of her neck stood up as she glanced about, trying to pinpoint the location of the cause. Suddenly she noticed a flash of purple and focused on it. It was a shiny tentacool, and it seemed to be staring right at her. A voice blossomed in her mind and she leapt back, nearly tripping backwards as she released a surprised squeak.

Lexa turned to look at her friend, eyebrow raised.

"T-that tentacool just told me to catch it."

Lexa looked where her friend was staring, "You mean you want to catch it?"

"No. I mean the tentacool told me it is satisfied with me as a trainer and to catch it. In very proper english none-the-less." Maki was still staring. She jumped when she heard _It is quite impolite to stare you know._

"It did it again!" Maki cried.

Lexa just gave her friend a disbelieving look. "Then just hurry up and catch it already," Lexa suggested, wondering if her friend had hit her head somewhere in the scuffle with the abusive trainers.

Maki grasped the dive ball see had received from their first gym battle and tossed it at the tentacool. It disappeared in a flash of light and the ball returned to Maki's hands. Maki looked down at the ball, a look a joy on her face.

"My first water pokemon!" she said cheerfully.

"Yeah, now you'll actually stand a chance against fire enemies!" Lexa teased her friend before her eyes were drawn back to the lake by a strange shadow growing in the exact spot the tentacool had been. Maki noticed her friend's distraction and turned to look as well.

A giant pokemon exploded out of the surface with a tremendous bellow. Red and shining, the colossal pokemon bared its fangs down at them.

"Ohhh…" Lexa made a weak motion at Maki.

"Fuck?" suggested her friend.

"Gyraaaa!" the red gyrados roared before rearing higher, a glow beginning to form in its gaping jaws.

"Flying and water?" Lexa asked in a rush.

"Yes!" Maki squeaked, backpeddling.

"We don't have electric types!" wailed Lexa. "Um, mew?"

"Mew!" trilled the psychic pokemon and hopped into the air. At that moment, the dragon pokemon unleashed its attack: a multicolored beam that burned air as it followed the feline. Mew laughed as she dodged the attack with ease. The gyrados bellowed again, eyes wild with unbound fury.

"Mew, I trust you, but I also don't want Maki and I to be black scorch marks!" Lexa called as she and Maki ducked another blast that left a nasty trench in the ground, incinerating several trees and cleaving another.

"Mew!" replied the pokemon, eyes beginning to glow. A strange aura surrounded the enraged gyrados. Surprised, the dragon pokemon began to struggle and thrash. With a powerful psychic pull, mew slingshot the gyrados across the beach where it crashed into several large trees and lay dazed on the ground.

Instantly mew appeared beside Lexa. "Mew! Mewmew!" urged the pokemon as she levitated and bobbed around the trainer.

Catching the pokemon's drift, Lexa pulled an empty pokeball from her belt and after looking uncertainly at it, chucked the ball at the slowly stirring gyrados. The pokemon vanished inside and the pokeball fell to the ground. It wavered back and forth before settling. Lexa raised her eyebrows, completely shocked until the ball split open and released an irate gyrados.

Mew plucked the diveball from Lexa's bag and held it out to her. Taking the ball, Lexa eyed the gyrados as it raised itself high. Light shone again in the pokemon's mouth and gyrados released hyperbeam once again in their direction.

Face set and paws splayed, mew appeared in front of them, a pink shield appearing out of nowhere. Gyrados' hyperbeam ricocheted back on to the pokemon and sent it flying backwards. Trying again, Lexa threw the diveball at the prone pokemon. The ball shook once before laying still. Lexa waited, unsure if it was safe to walk forward or not. After a long moment where nothing happened save for mew shifting back into meowth, Lexa looked at Maki, her face pallid.

"Well that was…exciting?" Maki asked more then stated, staring at the occupied diveball on the ground. Lexa hesitantly walked forward and picked up the ball. "So…what now?" Maki asked.

Lexa looked up and down the lake, "Well…I suppose Frozen Puddle gym." There were towns situated at both ends of the lake, the path they were currently on lead to each. "Soo…which one?" Lexa asked.

"Just a moment," Lexa pulled out her map. "It's…that one," she finally said, pointing to the town to the south of the lake. "Come on, let's go." As they followed the path Maki had a sudden thought.

"Wait, I want to try something," she told Lexa, grasped her diveball, releasing the pokemon inside.

"Tentacool?" Maki asked, "Umm…can you…er…speak whenever you want? And can you translate for other pokemon?"

_I can_. The tentacool responded with a nod.

Maki looked excited, "That's awesome, I—wait, um…do you have a name…?"

_My name is HeracioBonilhiLaerci III. But you may call me Ertie,_ the tentacool responded with a bow of his head.

"A-alright then, Ertie. If I let out my pidgey would you please translate for us?"

_I would._

"Great! Then here goes nothing. Pidgey, go!"

The bird pokemon was revealed with a loud shriek and hard eyes focused on Maki before the pidgey flew straight at her, clipping at the top of her head with its talons then the tips of its wings. Maki winced and ducked, covering her head with one arm, the caterpie still in her other as Rao hissed at the bird pokemon.

"Ertie! Could you try to calm her? Please?" Maki asked and the pidgey continued to beat her about the head with its wings, Lexa watching from a safe distance.

_Of course,_ Ertie's voice said in Maki's head then he turned to look at the pidgey. Light surrounded the pokemon and it stopped moving, though the look in its eyes did not change.

"A tentacool that is psychic, sure, why not," Lexa said, wondering why she and her friend seemed to fail at just having a _normal_ pokemon journey. Two badges in and they already were on some strange group's hitlist, had encountered two legendary pokemon, and managed to run into the strangest pokemon.

Ertie moved the pidgey away from Maki so she could stand straight again. Maki took a deep breath then sighed, then spoke to the pidgey.

"Pidgey, I am very sorry that I caught you the way I did, but I promise that I'm not going to abuse you, really. And it was an accident—frankly I don't have that good of aim…"

The pidgey squawked in response and Maki looked to Ertie for a translation.

_I am afraid all she said was something terse about your mother. _

Maki's eye twitched briefly but she sighed. "Pidgey, really I am sorry. Is there any way to make it up to you?"

The pidgey just glared at her then released a string of squawks that by the look in its eyes seemed to merely be more insults. Ertie turned to the pidgey, _Now young miss that was simply uncalled for, _he told the bird, who didn't seemed to care about the scolding. Maki had a feeling she didn't want to know.

Then Rao growled and yipped at the pidgey from Maki's shoulder, seemingly angry for her.

The pidgey yelled back at him.

_Well that's just rude,_ Ertie told the pidgey and Maki felt more then out of the loop. She looked down and saw the caterpie still starting lovingly up at her and sighed, why couldn't they all be like that?

After several more minutes of the pokemon conversing among themselves, Maki only able to understand Ertie's occasional comments, Maki cut back in. "Pidgey, how about we make a deal. Come with me and you will get stronger and evolve. You don't have to like me or anything, but by battling with me you'll be able to grow."

The pidgey still did not look happy but apparently Rao's scolding had made some sort of difference as the bird tossed its head in annoyance but gave a response.

Ertie translated, _She says she will go with you because she is determined to get stronger. But she says she has no intent of listening to you. And that she thinks your hat looks ridiculous, which frankly I just do not understand; it is quite a nice hat._

Maki unconsciously reached a hand up to said hat with a pout but otherwise brushed the comments off. At least she and the pidgey had come to some sort of agreement. "Alright then, pidgey, return." The pidgey disappeared in a flash and Maki sighed, popping the ball into her belt.

Maki looked up then let out a small surprised shriek, leaping back. Standing only a couple paces away were a cameraman and reporter-like woman, microphone clasped in her hand, both leaning forward and watching Maki and Lexa, the camera light blinking, indicating it was on.

Lexa watched the multiway pokemon argument, unsure how to help, Lexa looked up at the meowth purring happily on her head. Giving up, she took a step away and squatted next to her eevee. The little pokemon's ears flipped up and she gazed silently up at Lexa.

"You still need a name," Lexa said to the eevee whose eyes closed contentedly in agreement. "What to call you? What to call you?" she wondered aloud.

Eevee cocked her head and mouthed a silent chirp.

Lexa sighed, and then reached to scratch behind the pokemon's ears. With a look of pure contentment, eevee melted at her feet. "Hmmm…" She thought back to how the pokemon behaved and her actions in battle. "Ayame?"

Eevee pricked her ears up and leapt back with her back arched, appearing imposing and menacing. Shocked, Lexa pulled her hand back, but the pokemon simply sprang back to a normal stance and nodded cheerfully before nuzzling up against Lexa's knees.

"Ayame it is, you little demon." Mew trilled happily for the mute pokemon. Lexa picked the eevee up and was just turning around when she heard Maki let out a choked squeal.

"Who are you?" Lexa demanded of the two people.

"And here we have two trainers at the legendary lakeside. Have you come after the infamous pokemon?" the woman asked.

Maki walked up beside her friend. "What infamous pokemon?"

"The red gyrados! Everyone comes here to look for it!" exclaimed the reporter. Maki and Lexa looked at each other, and Lexa instinctively closed her hand over the diveball clipped to her belt. "No? Well, how about you show us a battle instead. You _are_ both trainers, are you not?"

"Erm…"

"We don't have time right now," Maki finished for Lexa who nodded along.

"Yes," continued Lexa, "we need to get back to the town. Bye now."

"Oh, wait! Please, just one little battle?" The woman pleaded as Maki and Lexa quickly continued on their way toward Frozen Puddle; it was already much later in the day then they hoped it would be when they reached the next town, thanks to running into that strange group of people again and then getting lost.

"Rain check?" Maki offered, trying to get the pair to leave them alone.

The woman was not that easily deterred, "We will be watching for you, we want that battle!" The woman sighed happily, "Double battles are so popular right now, our ratings will shoot through the roof!"

"Err…that's nice. Goodbye!" Lexa called, as the two girls sped up even more, leaving the cameraman and reporter woman behind at the lake's shore.

When they were out of earshot and sight both girls gave a sigh and slowed their paces. Maki glanced at her friend.

"Infamous pokemon, huh?" she asked as Lexa looked at her diveball.

Lexa sighed, "Let's just…get to Frozen Puddle." Maki nodded and the two, finally, made their way into the town that was anything but frozen.

"Could someone kindly explain the naming schemes for these towns? Cause I'm really not getting it," Maki asked with a sigh as the two made their way straight to the pokecenter. Several minutes and a number of fully healed pokemon later they once again left the pokecenter, eyes scanning the town for the gym. Letting their feet wander aimlessly until they found it.


	10. Creampuffs Vs Pokemon

Chapter 10: Creampuffs vs Pokemon

Pokeplot

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

Suddenly Lexa nudged Maki, nodding toward a small group of people. They all seemed to be staring in the girls' direction, one checking something on their phone then looking back up at them. They al had the same hostile look in their eyes, but none moved to do anything. Maki shuddered and caught a glimpse of the gym building, hurrying in its direction, Lexa keeping pace.

"What was with that?" Lexa murmured to her friend.

Maki shrugged, "I don't know, you don't think it could have anything to do with those people do you? I mean they were dressed differently and all."

Lexa shrugged as well, "I don't know, maybe."

Both looked up when they realized they had reached the oversized doors of the Frozen Puddle gym.

"What do you think this gym holds in store for us?" Lexa asked, eyeing the door decoration.

"Ice by the name of the city, but after the last gym…" A smile came to Maki's face at the mention of the previous gym, one mirrored by her friend.

"But shouldn't we hit the pokecenter first?" Lexa wondered, trying to be practical.

"You have a point," concurred Maki and changed their direction to the pokecenter. After a brief visit in which they heard some strange rumors about sporadic thefts, the girls wandered back to the gym.

Each grabbed a door handle, looked to the other, nodded, and pulled the doors open. A strong earthy fragrance overloaded their senses when they stepped inside.

"Hey! Who do you think you are?" demanded a voice.

"Mew?" the meowth wondered. A boy came running up from Maki's left at the same time a girl appeared to Lexa's right.

"We're here to challenge the gym?" Lexa said, not sure which person she should be talking to.

"Not without going through us first!" said the boy.

"Yeah! You beat us and you can challenge the gym leader," added the girl. Each held a pokeball at the ready.

Maki and Lexa shrugged to each other. "Alright, if that's how it's going to be…" Lexa hefted a pokeball and then as an afterthought switched. "Ayame!" The eevee at her heels stepped forward and waited expectantly in front of her trainer.

"Oddish!" yelled the boy while the girl sent out, "Paras, I choose you!"

Lexa heard Maki swear again before shouting, "Rao, go!"

Twin eevees charged across the field together towards the enemy pokemon, small blurs in the odd lighting. At the last second, they split apart to collide into separate pokemon and bounded back before a reposte could occur.

"Paras, slow them with a spore attack!" the girl ordered.

"Use poison powder, oddish!" commanded the boy.

Both pokemon acted simultaneously to fill the stadium with dangerous particles. Not quite sure how to counter these attacks with eevee, Lexa let her pokemon decide what was best.

"Don't let any of that touch you, Rao!" Maki called.

"Wait for it to settle," suggested Lexa. "Then use your speed to your advantage!" Balls of fur bounded around the field, dancing away from the swirling dust.

"Alright, Rao! The moment it settles use agility and headbutt!" Maki commanded as the dust began to fall to the floor.

"Ayame, agility and quickattack!" Lexa told her eevee. Both eevees nodded and waited to spring into action—the dust settled and the two were gone, sprinting toward their targets. The opposing plant pokemon were sent carrening when Rao and Ayame appeared from opposite sides, each slaming into a different pokemon.

The battle wasn't over though, after a moment both the paras and the oddish stood back up.

"Oddish, absorb!" the boy cried, pointing at Rao.

"Paras, tackle the other eevee!" the girl shouted.

Light from oddish's absorb gathered around Rao and then sped over the plant pokemon in question as the paras tried to land a tackle on Ayame. It failed as the eevee easily evaded.

"Ayame, use agility followed by a headbutt on the paras!" Lexa ordered.

"Rao, do the same!" Maki added, wanting to finish this as soon as possible. The eevees moved as one unit, tearing across the field and slamming from opposite sides into the paras. The bug pokemon collapsed and did not rise, forcing its trainer to recall it.

"Again, but this time to the oddish!" Maki called once the eevees were ready. Before oddish had a chance to act, it was smashed between two simultaneous headbutts and fainted. The boy returned the plant pokemon to its pokeball.

"Aww," cried the boy. "We lost…"

"Don't think you got off so easy," said the girl. "The gym leader is big and tough. He'll beat you."

They ran off, disappearing through the double doors on the far side of the gym.

"Now what?" Lexa asked Maki as their eevees came bounding back.

"We wait?"

The doors slammed open.

"I guess not long…" Maki muttered.

"Welcome to the plant gym of Frozen Puddle! You've beaten my peons, but now you must face me!" said a booming voice. There was a short pause. "Wait. There are two of you? This complicates things…Wife! I need you!"

"What is it now?" a femine voice demanded.

"Deeeeear, we have challengers," the man called back, "A double battle."

"Eh? Double battle?" suddenly a woman appeared in the doorway, wiping her hands on a rag. Although it didn't look like she'd come from a kitchen—rather it looked as if she had just come from fixing something that had exploded. The woman looked Lexa and Maki up and down.

"Alright, we'll do a 3 on 3 battle—each trainer gets three pokemon, once all three of a trainers' pokemon are unable to fight that trainer is done. You two beat both my three and my husband's three pokemon and you'll have yourselves a gym badge. Everything clear?" the woman asked.

Lexa and Maki just nodded.

"Good. Venomoth go!" the venomoth appeared on the field before the woman.

"Geez honey, always rushing in…go gloom!" the man commanded, tossing a pokeball.

"Well this will be a piece of cake," Lexa said, holding up a pokeball. "Kasdeya…" But before she could summon her charmeleon, a pokeball on her belt burst open and a golden shape winged its way towards the ceiling.

Lexa smacked her forhead with her free hand while muttering, "You're not Kasdeya." With a sigh, she returned Kasdeya's pokeball to her belt and figured she'd go with it. She could always switch pokemon.

Meanwhile, Maki was in a bit of a predicament. Considering most all of her pokemon were plant, and the one she had most recently obtained was water of all things, she didn't have a lot of choices. Maki heard the sqwacking of what could only be Marahute and suddenly had a thought. The pidgey _had _agreed to play nice—at least to a degree. Hoping for the best, Maki cried, "Pidgey, go!"

Pidgey appeared on the field, looked around, and turned back to Maki with an expression that demanded to know what the big idea was.

"Pidgey, use gust!" Maki told the bird pokemon. Pidgey's eyes narrowed. "Please?"

"Marahute!" Lexa called to the ceiling.

"Geooo!" came the distant reply and suddenly the large bird pokemon appeared before Lexa.

"Use wing attack on the venomoth," Lexa directed, pointing at the bug pokemon. The pidgeotto looked skeptical. Lexa pulled out her badges again and pointed to them. "Just do something useful, okay?"

"Geo!" Marahute affirmed, instantly happy at the free reign. Without a second glance, Marahute swept past pidgey, making straight for the gloom.

"Stun spore, gloom!" the gym leader ordered, seeing a potential problem. The plant pokemon spun around and spores began to drift from the buds on its head, but the pokemon was not fast enough. Marahute's superior speed carried the bird into the gloom and what few spores were available got shrugged off. Talons closed around gloom's body, and Marahute used her momentum to carry them high above the gym floor. Lexa was beginning to see a pattern with Marahute, and she realized that she might be afraid of the pokemon's final evolution.

This left pidgey alone with the venomoth. The bug pokemon waited patiently for an order from its trainer, seemingly indifferent to the conflict between pokemon and trainer.

"Venomoth, use toxic on that pidgey!" the woman called. The venomoth flew forward, a dark, oily haze surrouding the pokemon.

"Pidgey, gust!" Maki yelled at her pokemon. The pidgey snapped something back at her and then proceeded to kick sand up at the approaching venomoth.

_Sand attack? Really? _ Maki mentally demanded, quickly losing hope for the battle. The sand rose in to the air and coated the oncoming pokemon, sticking to the oily haze surrounding the venomoth as well as slightly diorienting the bug pokemon. As the venomoth came close for the attack the pidgey leapt back, spread its wings and took off into the air, evading the toxic attack completely. Maybe the battle wouldn't be quite as bad as Maki originally thought.

"Venomoth! Supersonic!" the woman commanded, and Maki turned to watch her pidgey in worry. Venomoth turned to face the pidgey, spreading its wings impressively in preparation. The attack hit the pidgey, causing it to falter in disoriention for a moment, falling a couple feet before regaining its flight.

"Follow it with a gust, venomoth!" the woman continued coolly as Maki asked the bird to use "Gust, quick attack, anything!"

The pidgey gave her a rude look then looked at the venomoth coming toward it. Its eyes flashed and it brought its wings close to its body and arrowed toward the venomoth, slaming into it then darting away again. Maki wasn't even sure what attack that constitued as but she wasn't about to complain.

"Venomoth, sleep powder," the woman commanded as her husband stood by, staring upwards with wide eyes.

"Dear…" he said but she did not seem to hear him.

Venomoth spread its wings, preparing to release its sleep powder as Maki's pidgey faced off against it, an angry glare in its eyes.

Powder began to gather and glide toward the pidgey as the man tried to gain his wife's attention once more, "Umm…dearest…"

"Not now," the woman scolded the man, gazing intesly at the battle before her.

And then suddenly a flailing gloom came careening down onto her venomoth, knocking it out of the sky, both falling hard to the ground.

Marahute's victory cry resounded around the gym, reverberating off the walls and ceiling. The bird even did a victory lap, although she appeared solely as a golden blur. Lexa could not help but shake her head. It was unorthodox, but hey, whatever worked. This was quickly becoming Marahute's signature move; effective, but still people may begin to expect it.

Gloom did not rise from its dazed state, while the venomoth struggled to fly again, its wings fluttering spasmodically.

"Gloom return," the man commanded, shriveling under his wife's glare. "Nuzleaf?" The humanoid pokemon appeared on the field with a strange trill.

"Marahute, that's enough, come back," Lexa commanded. The golden bird shrieked and dodged the pokeball beam. "Marahute!"

Mew watched the wayward pidgeotto with mischievious eyes. A spongy orb appeared out of nowhere and popped as soon as Marahute swooped into it. The bird faltered, stunned by the sudden obsticle and Lexa was able to return the pokemon. With a sigh of relief, she clipped Marahute's pokeball to her belt before picking Kasdeya's.

"Kasdeya, go!"

The black charmeleon appeared with a snarl on the gym floor. Pidgey took advantage of venomoth's struggle and clipped the moth pokemon from behind before soaring out of reach again. Venomoth spun after the pidgey, but was too slow to actually land a blow.

"Kasdeya, ember to both pokemon!" Lexa called, confident now that a reliable pokemon was on the field of play. "And try not to hit the pidgey!" she added as an afterthought.

The charmeleon nodded and turned his attention to the opposing pokemon. Pidgey made another sneak attack, and Kasdeya followed the pokemon's attack with a stream of fire. Nuzleaf picked itself up and dusted ash from its body, but the venomoth seemed to be having difficulties.

"Pidgey, quick attack!" Maki yelled, hoping that this time the bird would listen. Pidgey stopped in mid dive and looked reproachfully at her. The bird appeared conflicted, her eyes narrowed at her trainer.

"Venomoth, use psybeam!" the woman ordered before pidgey had a chance to make a decision.

"Nuzleaf, use nature power on the charmeleon!" called the man from the sideline.

A rainbow hued whorl lanced into pidgey's chest, earning the venomoth a pained squawk from Maki's pidgey as she flapped unsteadily through the air. The ground split around Kasdeya in a small tremor. The charmeleon shook off the attack and leapt to slash at the nuzleaf. Pidgey finally made up her mind and quickly attacked venomoth, which sent the moth straight into the ground, unable to continue fighting. With that accomplished, the pidgey flew at Maki and began noisily chattering at her.

Maki swated back at her pokemon, "I get it, I get it! You didn't do it because I told you to!" the pidgey gave her a final slap with her wingtip for good measure then flew back toward the battlefield, ready for more.

The woman returned her venomoth and grasped a new pokeball. "Sudowoodo go!" the woman said and the tree-looking pokemon appeared on the field.

Maki blinked and glanced at Lexa. "Isn't that actually rock?" she mouthed, a faint nagging memory from class.

Lexa nodded, "Yeah it's rock," she mouthed back. Then both seemed to realize the same thing as identical grins split their faces.

Maki grabbed a second pokeball, calling the pidgey back to the first one. The bird pokemon glared and turned up its beak at her but returned. Then Maki through the other pokeball, "Ertie, go!" the tentacool appeared on the field.

"Ertie! Bubblebeam on the sudowoodo!" Maki commanded. _Gladly_, Maki heard the pokemon reply in her mind. That was really going to take some getting used to.

"Kasdeya, slash the nuzleaf again!" Lexa commanded.

Sudowoodo staggered backwards under the force of Ertie's attack while nuzleaf blocked Kasdeya's slashing attack and countered with its own. Forced to hop back, Kasdeya continued to evade nuzleaf's continual attacks while waiting for Lexa's next order.

"Nuzleaf, use razor leaf and follow through with cut!" the man ordered at the same time his wife called for sudowoodo to mimic tentacool's attack and use bubblebeam on the charmeleon. Sudowoodo clambored to its feet looking weak and stood as glittering light flew from tentacool to settle on the rock pokemon. A powerful stream of bubbles flew towards the fire pokemon as he leapt away from nuzleaf.

"Kasdeya, smokescreen!" Lexa called, instantly worried about this sudden change.

"Ertie, hit sudowoodo with another bubblebeam!" Maki commanded.

Smoke issued from Kasdeya's mouth, filling the stadium, but not before being slammed by sudowoodo's attack. Nuzleaf's razor leafs flew everywhere as the pokemon was blinded by the smoke, unsure where to strike, the grass pokemon waited before continuing with its attack.

Ertie waited patiently until he had a clear shot before launching another bubblebeam, which slammed solidly into sudowoodo, knocking the pokemon out. Maki and Lexa nodded to each other, each feeling pretty good about that call. The high five would come later.

As the smoke cleared a dark shadow leapt forth, fire spewing at nuzleaf who was caught prone. The flames settled and nuzleaf rocked back and forth before falling over. Both husband and wife withdrew their pokemon at the same time and looked at their remaining pokeballs.

"Tangela!" said the man, throwing a pokeball.

"Bayleaf! Go!" added the woman, tossing her last pokeball. Both grass pokemon appeared in flashes of red and waited patiently for their masters' orders.

"Tangela, I want you to…do you smell that?" he asked, suddenly distracted.

"What is it?" the wife demanded.

There was a brief pause as everyone in the gym slowly registered the faint smell of smoke, and not the kind that Kasdeya emited.

"My creampuffs!" the man shouted suddenly, bolting off the battlefield and out the side door, leading into what the girls assumed was their home.

The wife rather looked like she wanted to smack her own forehead. "Bayleaf, magical leaf on the tentacool. Tangela, bind the charmeleon!" Both pokemon sprung into action; it seemed as though the tangela was used to taking orders from the woman.

Thinking quick, Maki ordered Ertie to use constrict, hoping to prevent the bayleaf's movements. Ertie shot his tentacles across the battlefield, sliding around the bayleaf who was preparing for its attack. The pokemon let out a distressed noise as Ertie tightened its tentacles, pulling the bayleaf onto its side and drag it a short way.

Meanwhile the tangela was launching itself toward Kasdeya, unfurling its vines slightly in order to wrap them about the shiny black pokemon.

"Kasdeya! Ember!" Lexa commanded. The pokemon pointed its head down toward its own body, where blue vines were wrapped and wriggling with a life of their own. Kasdeya released a burst of flame, causing the tangela to release a small noise and the vines to fall away from the charmeleon's sides. "Now ember again, on the bayleaf!"

Ertie held the pokemon tightly as Kasdeya sent a stream of fire at it, quickly taking care of most of its health.

"Again, Kasdeya, before tangela fully recovers!" Lexa called when she noticed the tangela readying itself for another attack.

"Tangela, use poison powder! And bayleaf, cut yourself free!" The woman issued orders without hesitation and both jumped to obey, well, not bayleaf in its current state. Bayleaf thrashed in Ertie's grip and whipped its head around to slice with the leaf on its head. Tangela began to quiver where it stood, in doing so, it released a cloud of nasty dust. Kasdeya grinned maliciously.

Forseeing her pokemon's intent, Lexa threw her hand in front of her eyes as the expected explosion resounded through the stadium. Tangela coughed once and blinked, two pale eyes amid a pile of blackened tentacles. Without tangela's pokeball, the woman could not recall the fainted pokemon, so instead she focused on her bayleaf.

"Quick, bayleaf, before the charmeleon has another chance to attack!"

The plant pokeman brayed and lashed out at Ertie, its leaf slashing at the tentacles binding the pokemon's body. Ertie responded by tightening his grip and swinging the bayleaf across the floor.

"Synthesis!" the woman suggested to bayleaf.

"Kasdeya, don't let it recover!" Lexa yelled. The black charmeleon snarled, turning his attention to the struggling bayleaf.

But at that moment, the gym leader appeared, throwing the doors open with a plater in his hands. "Would any one care for a creampuff? If you squint these aren't too badly burned…"

"Norman, dear, now is not the time," the woman said through clenched teeth, obviously trying to be patient with him.

Kasdeya snorted once and then exhaled a stream of fire at bayleaf. The pokemon struggled weakly in Ertie's grip, still desperately holding on to consciousness.

"Finish it with acid, Ertie!" Maki ordered.

Bayleaf cried and fainted. The woman recalled her pokemon and looked expectantly at her husband. "Ahem," she coughed.

The man blinked, then surveyed the battlefield, his tangela unconscious and on its side, its vines blankened by fire, and his wife's pokemon conspiculously absent from the field.

"Oh…we lost?" he asked and his wife sighed. Then the man grinned, "Congratulations! You have both won yourselves the Frozen Puddle Gym badge! And some of my delicious creampuffs! Go ahead, try some! They're really not all that burnt, I caught them pretty quick. I find that if you use—" the man was interrupted by his wife.

"Just give them the badges Norman," she intstructed.

"Oh fine, dear," Norman responded, looking slightly crestfallen. "Here you are, two shiny new badges! Great battling, both of you. My wife's no push over—you wouldn't believe."

"May I remind you that _you_ are the gym leader here Norman?" his wife asked, walking up. Then she looked at Lexa and Maki. "Good battle, you two make a pretty good team. I'm assuming you've been double battling your way through the gyms?"

Maki and Lexa both nodded.

"I'll bet that made those twins from Fernspring happy, they're always complaining about having to single battle and—"

"Yes dear," the woman cut her husband off once again, then looked back at the girls once more. "It's getting late, you two best head over to the pokecenter and see if you can't stay there—give yourselves and your pokemon some well deserved rest." The woman finally smiled. "Good luck with the rest of your journey."

"Thanks!" Lexa said and Maki nodded before taking their leave of the gym.

"They're pretty good kids," Norman told his wife cheerfully, then glanced down at the creampuff platter still in his hands, "Ah! And they took some creampuffs!"


	11. The SS Seacow!

Chapter 11: The SS Seacow!

Pokeplot

_I wanna be the very best_

_Like no one ever was_

_To catch them is my real test_

_To train them is my cause_

_I will travel across the land_

_Searching far and wide_

_Each Pokemon to understand_

_The power that's inside_

_Pokemon!_

_It's you and me_

_I know it's my destiny_

_Pokemon!_

_Ooh, you're my best friend_

_In a world we must defend_

_Pokemon!_

_Our hearts so true_

_Our courage will pull us through_

_You teach me and I'll teach you_

_Pokemon_

_Gotta catch 'em all!_

Maki and Lexa headed straight for the Frozen Puddle pokecenter, taking Norman's wife's advice as the sun low in the sky and everyone could infact deal with a good rest. Maki was happily snacking on the creampuffs she had grabbed from the plate Norman held, and feeding small pieces to Rao on her shoulder.

"You know, these are actually pretty good, want one?" she said, offering one of the many she held to Lexa.

"I will, thanks!" Lexa snagged the puff her friend was offering. Mew squealed on her head and immediately reached one tiny paw for the pastry. Lexa laughed and handed the puff off after taking a bite. They entered the pokecenter side-by-side, mew chewing happily on the pastry and Rao making content noises, while Ayame trotted along at Lexa's heels.

"Greetings, you're all out late," said the jovial woman behind the counter.

"Yeah, we just finished with the gym. Could you heal our pokemon, please?" Lexa asked, picking her eevee up off the floor.

"Of course." The nurse smiled and accepted their pokemon. Moments later they were returned to their respectable trainers.

"By the way," Maki said as she stroked Rao's soft fur, "could we spend the night here?"

"Not a problem! There are cots and blankets in that side room over there." The nurse pointed them in the proper direction. "Feel free to settle down upstairs. Get some rest, you look exhausted."

"Thanks!" the two said in unision and scurried off.

Morning came bright and far sooner than either trainer wished. After packing up their strewn supplies, they organized their borrowed things and returned them to the hamper once the cots were dragged back to their appropriate places. Downstairs they waved goodbye to the nurse and left the pokemoncenter. Both squinted at the sunlight for a few moments before trying to figure out their next course of action.

"You know, we should probably get Norman's number," Maki mentioned.

"What?" Lexa looked at her friend.

"Those creampuffs were good." Maki felt that was explination enough.

"You do have a point," Lexa conceded.

"Mew!" agreed the feline happily.

"Right then! Onward! Back to the gym!" Maki called, feeling reenergized after a good night's sleep.

When the two girls entered the gym, they were greeted with the sight of pairs of children litering the area, all engaged in play-battles, training their pokemon. Norman stood among them, giving his advice here and there and laughing jovially every once in a while. He looked up and noticed Lexa and Maki and smiled.

"And just what is it that causes you both to grace our presence once again?" Norman asked after forging the way across the gym floor, weaving between trainers and pokemon.

"Well we stayed in the pokecenter last night and we figured we could stop by again before leaving down. You know, to say hi. And maybe ask for your phone numbers…Those creampuffs were really good. In case we ever need advice. Or recipes," Maki said as Lexa, 'meowth' and Rao all nodded in agreement.

The man blinked at them then laughed, "Of course! Here, let me see your phones." The man took the phones and imput both his own number and his wife's. That's when the girls learned the woman's name was Felecity. Who knew?

"Thanks Norman! We'll be sure to keep in touch!" Lexa said with a smile and the girls turned to get ready to leave just as the doors opened once again, two very familiar figures entering—both looking more then a little disgruntled and rather unhappy to have seemingly traveled together given they had battled Mason together and were headed in the same direction.

"Well, fancy meeting you here," Skye remarked with a snide twist upon recognizing the pair. Where their paths crossed, they paused and sized the other up.

"Ha! We're just leaving. Having a fun journey?" Lexa asked with a grin and mew trilled from her head. Skye simply glared. "Aw, don't look so down hearted," Lexa began, but got a sharp elbow from Maki before she could continue.

"Don't—oh, what's that?" Maki changed in midsentence when she caught sight of the swell in Hlowan's backpack. "Is that an egg?"

"It...might be. What? It doesn't concern you," he replied, jerking away.

Maki was instantly curious. "What pokemon is it? And why do you have it? That's not your starter pokemon." It was Lexa's turn to elbow her friend.

"Ow," Maki complained, rubbing her side.

A not so subtle bark interrupted their awkward conversation. All turned to look at the pokemon standing at the doorway to the gym, tail wagging joyfully and tongue lolling.

"That stupid dog has been following us everywhere," Hlowan whined, eyebrows knotting together at the sight of the pokemon.

"Get lost!" Skye said to the houndoom. "Go!"

The houndoom barked, its eyes shining. Upon closer inspection, that was not all that shone. The dog pokemon's fur was a deep blue and sparkled in the sunlight. It noticed their attention and picked a package up off the ground, giving them a woof through the package in its mouth. It paced away from the door and looked back as though expecting them to follow.

"Enjoy your gym battle!" Lexa said cheerfully and dragged Maki out after her. The boys simply glowered after, still in a sour mood.

"Now I'm curious!" Maki complained once they were outside. Houndoom sat on its haunches, cocking its head, tail wagging, and package still in its mouth.

Lexa held out her hand and the houndoom dropped its package into her outstretch hand then immediately butted its head under Maki's hands, demanding attention as Lexa opened the package. Maki obligied and scratched the pokemon behind its ears, watching Lexa open the package curiously. Lexa looked at the contents, confused. There were two tickets inside, marked for some kind of boat and a folded letter. As Lexa opened the letter to read it, the houndoom pressed its weight happily against Maki as she pet it absentmindedly, almost knocking the girl over. Lexa's eyes roved over page, quickly widening.

"Well?" Maki demanded. "Read it outloud or something!"

"It's from Mason! He's given us tickets for the S.S. Seacow, the liner that takes people and pokemon from Frozen Puddle to SnowPeak across the lake. He says the next gym is there and that he will be on it as well. And it leaves…" Lexa's eyes continued to rove the paper. "Today! Ah! It leaves today from the Frozen Puddle marina. It says to just bring Halafae—that's you it's it?" Lexa asked the houndoom who barked in response and nuzzled at Lexa's hand now. She pat the pokemon with a smile, "To bring Halafae with us to the ship and we'll see him there."

Lexa folded the letter up, slid it back into the envelope and placed the package into her bag. She caught Maki's eye and after sharing mirrored grins, high-fived. Halafae barked excitedly and bounded back and forth around them, carefree and full of energy. They flung their backpacks over their shoulders before taking off down the street to the marina, Halafae racing along in front.

Small boats bobbed along in the harbor, overshadowed by the larger fishing boats and the massive oceanliner. Decorations were thrown up everywhere; banners and flags decorated the streets and the harbor. Swarms of people milled about the docks, either saying goodbye, waving off relatives, or just enjoying the festivities. The houndoom wriggled through the masses, a trick Lexa wished she could mimic. After many "excuse me's" and "pardon me's", Lexa and Maki managed to press their way to the boarding rail, and discovered several new gifts in their hands. Frosted pastries and some sort of party favor. They shrugged to each other, showed their passes to the bored looking sailor who ushered them along, and stepped on to the liner.

"Wow," Maki breathed, staring at the upper level of the ship.

"Yeah…" agreed Lexa. The place was huge with many people, although not nearly in the numbers that gathered at the docks. Halafae pressed close to the both of them, keeping them together and at the same time leading them along past throngs of people as both girls could do little more than stare at their surroundings.

"When does the Seacow take off?" Maki asked while gaping at the pool.

"Umm…I'm not entirely sure," Lexa said back, and glancing at their tickets for a time. Just the date, location, oceanliner, and passenger id's were given. "I guess whenever the pilot –"

"Pilot? You mean conductor."

"Captain!" boomed a voice behind them.

Both girls froze and slowly turned to face the owner of the disturbingly masculine voice. Silhouetted against the bright sun stood an imposing shadow. Broad, tall, and haloed by a rainbow of light, the man cut an impressive figure. Or perhaps it was the pose he seemed to be striking. The girls were dazzled by the drops of water that caught the light and sparkled around the man, cast by the leaping dewgong.

Neither Maki nor Lexa knew what to say. Lexa managed to swallow the squeal of shock that she felt rising.

"Mew," chirped 'meowth'.

The man broke his pose and cooed at meowth, waggling his finger in the pokemon's face. Mew trilled and headbutted the man's hand, enjoying the attention.

"Y-you're the …captain?" Lexa stammered, remembering the proper title.

"Yes!" he roared, straightening. "Captain Alex Louis Chamberlain." Yet another pose was struck.

"Err…" Maki and Lexa glanced at each other, eyebrows raised. The dewgong leapt once again, causing glittering sparkles to rain around the man.

"I feel like I'm in an anime…" Maki murmured to Lexa

"I know what you mean!" Lexa returned.

Suddenly another man ran up, "Daylily! It's time to cast off!"

"Daylily?" Lexa and Maki mouthed to each other then shook their heads. They didn't really want to know.

"Hmm?" the captain turned and lifted his arm, glancing at the watch on his wrist. He took a deep breath and bellowed, "CAST OFF! TIME TO GET THIS SHIP ON ITS WAY! YOU, SLUGGARD, HUSTLE!"

The captain paused and looked pleased with himself until he saw Maki and Lexa still lingering.

"What are you two doing? I SAID GET MOVING! YOU SHOULD BE…" He stopped to think a moment. "IN THE KITCHEN!"

"In the kitchen?" Lexa repeated, confused.

"But I'm not aloud to be near flames!" Maki told him and after a moment added with a knowing look, "and Lexa is not supposed to be near sharp objects."

Captain Chamberlain looked crestfallen. "I see." His firstmate stepped forward, looking as though he was about to speak. However, Chamberlain perked up with a hearty shout of, "BATTLESTATIONS!"

The firstmate sighed as if he were all to used to this situation, "Captain, we're just setting out on a cruise, not going to battle…" he told Chamberlain.

Chamberlain paused, then cleared his throat, "Of course, of course. I was merely testing your reflexes in event of pirate attack during the trip! Now, to your station, everyone! Release all the ties! Push off from the dock! Sunflora, ready?"

"SUNFLORA!" a pokemon cried from somewhere above the ship.

"Then…SOLARBEAM, SOLARBEAR!" he yelled as he ran off, his firstmate tagging along behind.

Maki and Lexa were left in stunned silence, when all of a sudden Rao let out a warning chirp and they turned in unison only to duck down to avoid a swooping mantine that chased after the firstmate and his captain.

"Met the captain, I see," said a familiar voice behind them.

Maki heard mew's quiet snickering and Lexa's embarrassed, "Hush Mew! …owth." Which only made the pokemon trill happily, eyes closed in merriment.

"We…got your letter!" Maki said, then the houndoom that delivered said letter glanced around its master, looking rather pleased with itself.

Mason chuckled, "So it would seem. Have you seen your cabin yet? Are you situated?" he asked.

Lexa and Maki shook their head, "We just got here…then we met the Captain…" Lexa said.

"I see," Mason said, appearing completely relaxed against the wall of the ship. "Well, in that case, why don't we take a stroll around the ship?"

They couldn't say no, there was no possible way. Both agreed readily, earning a growing grin from Mason as he pushed himself away from the wall. His houndoom barked once and raced down the hall ahead of them before bounding back. This continued as they walked together with Mason pointing out different parts of the ship, such as where to find food, and stairwells, and then off handedly, where the engines and boiler was.

Maki and Lexa could not figure out why he had pointed out the latter, but he must have some reason.

"I think your cabins are around here somewhere," Mason said while gazing down the long hall. "Check out your invites, it should say. But this is where we say goodbye."

Both girls tried not to show their disappointment as he called his houndoom back and vanished up a side route. Together, they turned slowly and pulled out their invitations.

Mason's face suddenly appeared around the corner. "Oh, by the way, everyone's a trainer, so don't be surprised if you get challenged right and left. Have fun!"

Lexa turned to Maki. "So, now what?" she asked her friend.

"Explore?" Maki offered. "I know, we raid other people's rooms and challenge them to battles!"

"That's just silly." Lexa turned the doorknob to their supposed door. "How about we make sure this is our room first?"

The small cabin proved empty save for bunk beds and a small dresser and lamps. A tiny window allowed them a narrow view of the water. Lexa threw her bag on the top bunk.

"Dibs?"

Maki shrugged, throwing her own bag on the bottom bunk. "Fine with me."

There was a sudden uproar outside their room. Both girls looked at each other before racing out to see what all the commotion was. Lexa and Maki ducked as a razor leaf attack zipped down the hall. Apparently two trainers were battling just outside their room.

"Flareon, flamethrow-er, wait!" Too late. Fire streamed through the hallway, forcing Maki and Lexa to sidle the wall.

"I am so sorry," said the trainer who had commanded his flareon to char the hallway. He brushed a flame colored mass of hair from his eyes, which only flopped down a few moments later.

"Hey! No interrupting!" yelled the opposing trainer.

"Ben, your pokemon was going to faint…"

"So? We aren't done!" Ben hollered, standing beside his toasted ivysaur.

"But…"

"Ah, forget it. Hey, you two, you trainers?" Ben demanded, turning to the stunned girls still plastered against the wall


End file.
